Cinema VinesManu Rishi Chaddha has earned acclaim for his portrayal of former Pakistan Army chief and president Pervez Musharraf in the Netflix war drama Operation Safed Sagar. The series, which follows the Indian Air Force’s Golden Arrows squadron during the 1999 Kargil conflict, places Chaddha’s character at the centre of the political and strategic manoeuvres that shaped the war.
In a recent interview with PTI, Chaddha explained that his preparation began with extensive research on Musharraf. He watched YouTube videos to study the former commander’s mannerisms, speech patterns and overall demeanor. “Musharraf was a real person, but what mattered first was what had been written about him and how he would behave,” he said. He added that adopting the way Musharraf spoke would have been straightforward, but achieving comfort in the role was crucial.
Crucially, the actor credited fellow performer Nawazuddin Siddiqui for guiding his approach. While preparing for the role, Chaddha met Siddiqui to discuss how the veteran actor tackled the character of Saadat Hasan Manto. Siddiqui advised, “I didn’t have a visual reference. I read about him and trusted the director’s vision. I used my acting process to connect with what the director was telling me from a human perspective.” Chaddha said he followed this method, letting his own emotional and intellectual responses shape his performance.
Besides Chaddha, Operation Safed Sagar boasts a strong ensemble that includes Jimmy Shergill, Siddharth, Abhay Verma, Adil Hussain, Mihir Ahuja, Taaruk Raina, Arnav Bhasin, Amrita Bagchi, Dia Mirza and Prajakta Koli. The series highlights the sacrifices and personal costs of war, focusing on the pilots’ high‑altitude missions and the emotional toll they bear.
Netflix is also expanding its Kargil‑era catalogue with the documentary The Last Salute, directed by Kushal Srivastava. The film chronicles the 62‑year history of the MiG‑21 with the Indian Air Force and features Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh along with veteran pilots. The Last Salute premiered on Netflix on August 26, adding further depth to the network’s coverage of the iconic conflict.
