Netflix goes ‘Top Gun’ with ambitious Kargil War series

By Asia Samachar  | India |

Netflix has mounted its most ambitious production in India yet with Operation Safed Sagar, a six-part series depicting the Indian Air Force’s role in the 1999 Kargil War with Pakistan.

The series was produced with unprecedented access to active Indian Air Force bases, operational MiG-21 and Mirage 2000 fighter jets, and advice from Air Force veterans, reports Bloomberg.

Filming took place at altitudes approaching 16,000 feet, while more than 1,200 Indian visual-effects artists worked on around 50 minutes of aerial combat sequences.

Netflix said the production contributed more than US$24 million to the Indian economy and involved 15 Indian VFX studios and more than 850 local businesses. The company declined to disclose the series’ budget.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos described the production as a showcase of India’s talent, technical expertise and production capabilities as the streaming platform marks 10 years in the country.

The production team also consulted between 50 and 60 Air Force veterans and a war widow in its effort to recreate the events accurately, the news agency reported.

The title takes its name from the Indian Air Force codename for its 1999 operations over the Himalayas during the Kargil conflict. Operation Safed Sagar was released on Netflix on Aug 7.

Bloomberg likened the scale of the project to Top Gun, with Netflix betting that high-end aerial action and military spectacle can help strengthen its position as a premium streaming platform in India. The comparison reflects the series’ extensive fighter-jet sequences, high-altitude filming and heavy investment in visual effects to recreate aerial combat during the Kargil War.

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