Mihir Ahuja on ‘Operation Safed Sagar’: Wearing the uniform brought pressure and responsibility

Mihir Ahuja | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Mihir Ahuja exhibits a stirring resolve in Operation Safed Sagar. Playing a real-life flying officer, C.H. Bal Reddy, the actor adds a humanising touch to his portrayal, blending the vulnerabilities of being young with the responsibility of defending the country during the 1999 Kargil war. Mihir was just a year old at the time and had heard stories of the war while growing up. And like most kids, he was also harbouring dreams of being a pilot one day. “Whenever a plane or helicopter would pass by our house, my dad used to take me to the balcony to show. I got fascinated with planes and the engineering behind it. But then my passion for acting took over,” says Mihir, known for starring in The Archies, Vijay 69 and Sarzameen.Now, it is that selfsame passion that has got him closer to experiencing being a pilot on-screen. The actor describes the moment of sitting in a fighter jet for the first time as “nerve-wracking”. “It was unreal. I was asking myself if I am actually sitting in a real fighter jet? It was quite surprising and inspiring at the same time,” he says, adding how the cockpit was quite compact with no room to move around. “Its not easy to sit inside. You cannot see anything ahead or on the right and left. You can only move your neck a bit. I don’t know how the flying officers do it. I cannot even imagine.”Interestingly, Mihir became part of Operation Safed Sagar at the last minute. The actor was shooting for another film in Mumbai when he got a call for audition for the show. “It was an urgent casting call. I went to their office at around 1 am. That’s when I auditioned for the first round,” reveals Mihir. He then got a call for the second round within a week and then there was no update from the film’s team. Days passed and Mihir had forgotten about the project. But he finally got a call just two days before the shoot was going to commence. “I was very happy and nervous as there was no time to prepare,” he says. The initial days of shoot, however, involved little technical preparation as he shot the romantic portions with Prajakta Koli, who plays Madhavi, Bal Reddy’s love interest in the series. Mihir Ahuja as C.H. Bal Reddy in ‘Operation Safed Sagar’ | Photo Credit: Netflix The actual preparations began when he met the Air Force officers and received training with the fighter jets around. He was fascinated with just the body language that the officers carry. A moment at the Air Force station that left a mark on him involved a handshake with a senior officer, BN Rao, which the actor describes as “a funny incident”. “All of us actors were meeting the officers and we all kept our hands quite loose but Rao sir held my hand so firmly that I was surprised. After that, whenever he would come, I would be prepared lest my shoulder gets dislocated,” Mihir smiles.The Netflix series focuses on the role played by the Air Force during the war and builds tension with an interplay of emotions. The sleek production design and realistic VFX of the aerial action sequences adds on to the believability. Mihir says that the set design helped him in teleporting to the time as an actor. What also helped to embody the role was wearing the Air Force uniform. “We got a sense of pressure and responsibility on our shoulders with the uniform. I saw a video of an officer recently where he was saying that the Air Force uniform has to be earned, it cannot be bought. But I feel honoured that we got to wear those badges as an actor and the uniform completely changes your personality,” Mihir says.The show has also brought more recognition for the actor. Recently, when he was walking on the street, a youngster recognised him. “He asked me if I was part of Operation Safed Sagar. He said that he loved the show and that he wants to join the Air Force. It is such a beautiful feeling when we are inspiring someone with our work,” he says.Operation Safed Sagar is currently streaming on Netflix. Published - September 03, 2026 01:52 pm IST