July 26, 1999! It’s been 27 years since India’s hard-fought victory over Pakistan in the Kargil war. While the world knows about the massive ground offensive, with the infantry battles having been brought to the silver screen many a time, there’s a chapter that often slips beneath the radar — ‘Operation Safed Sagar’.In the freezing, thin air of 18,000 ft, the Indian Air Force’s combat mission in the unforgiving, snow-capped terrain made history for becoming the world’s highest air operation. Until now, there had hardly been any deliberations on the tactical ingenuity and sheer bravery required to give our aerial troops an upper hand. However, bringing this grey, high-altitude saga down to the earth, the official trailer launch of Netflix’s web series ‘Operation Safed Sagar’ felt like a bridge across 27 years, more of an overdue paid to history. Outside, Mumbai was washed in the monsoon rain whereas inside, the air was charged up with a different kind of intensity.Honouring a long overdue historyTop military brass, including Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh and Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa (retd), stood alongside veteran air warriors of the Golden Arrows— the legendary No. 17 Squadron that flew high-risk reconnaissance and strike missions. Joining them were fellow air veterans Group Captain Amit Gupta, Group Captain Alok Chaudhry and Group Captain Tarun Kumar Singha. Reflecting on how long it took to reach the screen, Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa (retd) said, “Twenty seven saal ho gye hain …it was long overdue.”From ‘Asur’ to high-altitude actionOn a different quest following the making of gripping mythological thriller ‘Asur’, director Oni Sen is now in charge to bring across the tale of the vast air operations that led us to have an edge over the enemy. “Overwhelming” as he cited the only thought that came to his mind while filming it, Sen shared that he had to shoulder massive responsibility to weave in the brave stories of real people on the line of action.Star-studded squadronMoments later, the stage was taken over by the amazing star cast: the multi-talented Punjabi boy Jimmy Shergill, ‘Munjya’ fame Abhay Verma, Siddharth, Mihir Ahuja, Taaruk Raina, Arnav Bhasin, Dia Mirza, Prajakta Kohli and Adil Hussain. What makes the series feel so immediate is that it’s shot right in high-altitudes where the missions actually took place, far from comfortable studio sets. At its centre is a team of young Squadrons helmed by Wing Commander BS “Tony” Dhanoa (Jimmy) and his second-in-command, Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja (Siddharth), who venture into an impossible war. The fresh-faced pilots with their respective callsigns, Dhali, Baldy, Sangu and Goofy, enter into a war that’s finally made possible to win under Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of the Western Air Command Vinod Patney (Adil), who is now Air Mashal. Dia Mirza portrays Kamalpreet Kaur Dhanoa.The emotional Siddharth and gritty JimmyJust as the cast was being asked questions, one landed for the ‘Rang De Basanti ‘star. When asked about his biggest learning from the show, Siddharth was visibly emotional. Teary eyed, the actor said, “There’s a hope that whatever you do reaches young minds…there were many martyrs who laid their lives for us. It will begin a series of discussions among youngsters about who we are as country, and how the martyrs dealt with the blood coursing through their veins.”Jimmy added, “When I was young, everyone wanted to join the Forces. At present, everyone wants to make films but no one wants to serve the country. Who is gonna fight then? It’s time for people to know who are true heroes are.”The powerful DiaPlaying the role of a wife (Kamalpreet Kaur Dhanoa) of an air force officer, Dia felt something within her shifted the moment she entered the air force camp and talked to the families. “Kamal ma’am’s part in the story was one of an anchor…someone who held the women together and connected them on a mission while their husbands were away on a mission.”Recalling her biggest takeaway from the show as a woman and a wife, she said: “Every single day when their husbands stepped out of the home, they bid them goodbye with a smile on their face even if they had the biggest fight the night before.”’Operation Safed Sagar’ will stream on Netflix India starting August 7.