You immortalised my character: Actor Mihir Ahuja recalls real-life officer's message

Actor Mihir Ahuja’s portrayal of Flying Officer CH Bal Reddy in Operation Safed Sagar came with the responsibility of bringing a real-life war hero’s story to the screen. In a conversation with India Today, the actor recently recalled the message he received from Bal Reddy himself, who told him that he had “immortalised” his character.Speaking about the project, Mihir said playing a real-life hero was both exciting and nerve-wracking, particularly because he had only two days to prepare before filming began."I just got two days before the filming began, and I was very, very nervous. I was like, ‘How would I do in two days?’ So I read the script in the flight. It was very nerve-wracking for me,” he said.“The first reaction when I got the role was, I'm getting to be a real-life hero. What can be better than this? Any actor would be blessed to be part of this project where you actually get to go to a real-life hero who's been a part of the war,” he added. Mihir Ahuja on playing a real-life Air Force officerMihir said the team filmed in real locations, including around a MiG aircraft connected to the war. He also got time at the station to observe Air Force officers and understand their environment.“I could take my notebook, I could be around, I could be on the side of things, I could meet officers. I could observe them, I could see what's happening inside and outside there and make notes,” he said.The actor also met the real-life officers whose stories inspired the characters. For him, the focus was less on copying their mannerisms and more on telling their stories authentically. “We are playing real-life officers, of course, but people don't know their story, what happened behind the scenes. So the main protagonist was the story, and that story needs to be told in a certain way,” Mihir said.The actor said shooting around real fighter jets was another surreal experience for the cast. “We were just so surprised and in shock, with jets around us, that we were just in awe of where we were,” he added.Bal Reddy reacts to Mihir Ahuja's portrayal in the seriesMihir also recalled a sweet message from the real-life officer he portrays.“Baldy Sir has saved my number on his phone as Baldy, which is very sweet. And then he messaged me saying that ‘you immortalised my character’ and Madhavi (his wife) says that you did a lot better than me,” he said.In the Netflix series, influencer-turned-actor Prajakta Koli plays Madhavi. ‘The roles have chosen me’Apart from Operation Safed Sagar, Mihir has also been part of films such as The Archies, Vijay 69 and Sarzameen. Talking about his choice of projects, Mihir said he has been fortunate to be offered varied characters.“Honestly, the roles have chosen me and not I have chosen them. I will be very honest. Till now in my career, I've been very, very lucky to be offered versatile and different characters,” he said.On Operation Safed Sagar, he added, “You don't choose, the projects choose you. Because getting to be a part of a project where you are in a real-life [role] on target board, it's something anyone could dream of.”Mihir said he now wants to consciously take up projects that are different from one another as he continues to explore his versatility as an actor.- EndsPublished By: shweta keshriPublished On: Sep 2, 2026 17:31 IST