Actors Jimmy Shergill and Siddharth have donned the fighter pilots’ uniforms for their upcoming Netflix series, Operation Safed Sagar. The show, based on the Indian Air Force’s operations during the Kargil War, is a patriotic drama that prioritises subtlety, research, and realism over rhetoric. And that makes sense, for the two actors are known to pick their projects for their sensitivity. Two decades ago, Siddharth appeared in Rang De Basanti, while Jimmy starred in Agnipankh, two films known for their nuanced takes on love for the nation. In today’s times, when patriotism has become louder, the two actors maintain their preference for love over hate. In a candid chat with Hindustan Times, they open up on their idea of patriotism on screen.
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Ask them why they feel patriotic films of today are much louder than ones made two decades ago, and Jimmy quips, “Aaj ke zamane me sab kuch lagta hai chilla ke bolna padta hai (In today’s times, I feel you have to shout to say anything).” The actor says this loudness isn’t limited just to films, “Aap news bhi dekho. Uss zamaane me kaise log pyaar se news suna diya karte the. Log sunte the woh bhi. Aaj chilla chilla ke bol rahe hain, maybe shayad waisa hai. (Look at the news. In those days, people would read the news very calmly, and the audience would listen. Today, everybody is shouting, so maybe that is how it is).” But he adds, almost as an afterthought. “But our show is still subtle.”
Siddharth refuses to be drawn into commenting on the perceived loudness of today’s films, as he says, “There is no change in me. Twenty years ago, I played Bhagat Singh. Now, I am playing Ajay Ahuja. So, if I haven’t made those mistakes, I shouldn’t comment on them.” But the actor shares an example of Operation Safed Sagar in how a filmmaker can choose to show love for the nation. “What the creators told us is what we believe in. And what they told us is what they stuck to for the entire production. Oni sir says, ‘You can tell any story with love or hate’. Filmmakers have to choose the language. There is no hate in Safed Sagar. There is only love,” he says.
Operation Safed Sagar tells the story of the Indian Air Force’s Golden Arrows, the squadron that conducted the world’s highest air operation during the Kargil War. Apart from Jimmy and Siddharth, Operation Safed Sagar also stars Abhay Verma, Dia Mirza, Prajakta Koli, Mihir Ahuja, Taaruk Raina, Arnav Bhasin, and Amrita Bagchi. Created by Abhijeet Singh Parmar and Kushal Srivastava, and directed by Oni Sen, the show streams on Netflix on August 7.
