Jimmy Shergill says meeting Indian Air Force officers while preparing for Operation Safed Sagar taught him humility, while the actor also discusses masculinity in Bollywood and working with younger performers.

Shergill Praises IAF Officers

Actor Jimmy Shergill has spoken about his experience playing an Indian Air Force officer in Netflix’s Operation Safed Sagar, saying his interactions with real-life IAF personnel influenced the way he approached the role.

Shergill said the officers he met during preparation were remarkably humble and simple despite their achievements and sacrifices. That experience helped the cast avoid exaggerated portrayals of military personnel.

The series, inspired by the Indian Air Force’s role in the 1999 Kargil War, has received praise from IAF veterans for its portrayal of squadron culture and the pressures faced by personnel during the conflict.

Focus On Authentic Portrayal

Shergill said the makers wanted the show to remain as realistic as possible, and that expectation extended to the actors’ performances.

According to the actor, observing real officers helped the cast understand that heroism did not always need loud or aggressive expressions. The restrained approach became an important part of his portrayal.

Operation Safed Sagar follows the Golden Arrows squadron and explores the Indian Air Force’s role during the Kargil conflict. Netflix released the series on August 7, 2026.

Earlier Air Force Roles

The project also brought back memories for Shergill, who has previously portrayed Air Force officers in Agnipankh and Dharti.

He recalled that returning to an airbase immediately reminded him of his earlier experiences of playing military characters. This time, however, he approached the role with a different perspective after years of experience as an actor.

The series gave him another opportunity to work within a military setting while drawing on lessons from his earlier roles.

Shergill On Masculinity

Shergill also addressed the growing presence of aggressive and hypermasculine male characters in Bollywood. Rather than opposing the trend, he said actors should be willing to explore different forms of masculinity on screen.

He argued that cinema needs varied portrayals and that an actor’s responsibility is to perform the character written for him. Whether a role demands subtlety or an aggressive personality, he said he would approach it with the same commitment.

His comments come amid a growing presence of action-driven and physically intense male characters across Indian films and streaming projects.

Young Actors Impress Him

Shergill also praised the younger actors he worked with on Operation Safed Sagar. Abhay Verma, Mihir Ahuja, Taaruk Raina and Arnav Bhasin play young Air Force pilots in the series.

The veteran actor said he was impressed while watching them perform and appreciated the confidence they brought to their respective characters.

The series features Shergill and Siddharth alongside Verma, Ahuja, Raina, Bhasin, Dia Mirza, Prajakta Koli and Adil Hussain.

High-Altitude War Drama

Operation Safed Sagar focuses on one of the most demanding aerial operations of the Kargil War. The series follows the Golden Arrows squadron and dramatizes the challenges faced by its pilots during the conflict.

The production also involved significant physical and technical demands. Shergill and Siddharth previously spoke about shooting at high altitudes, with the cast and crew working in difficult conditions to capture the environment of the story.

The show was directed by Oni Sen and created by Abhijeet Singh Parmar and Kushal Srivastava. Matchbox Shots and Feel Good Films produced the series.

What Shergill Takes Forward

For Shergill, the experience appears to have extended beyond playing another uniformed character. His interactions with IAF personnel shaped his understanding of how courage, discipline and responsibility can exist without theatrical displays of aggression.

His appreciation for the younger cast also reflects the changing nature of Bollywood, where established performers increasingly share screen space with actors from a newer generation.

As Operation Safed Sagar continues to draw attention, Jimmy Shergill’s reflections add another perspective to the discussion around authentic military storytelling and the responsibilities actors face when portraying real-life service personnel. The Jimmy Shergill Operation Safed Sagar experience has, by his account, been as much about learning from real officers as it has been about performing a role.