Jimmy Shergill: Few films have truly captured an Air Force officer's life
Actor Jimmy Shergill has said that Operation Safed Sagar looks beyond spectacle to the emotional lives of Air Force personnel and their families. In an exclusive interaction with India Today he highlighted that the series examines the fear, separation and uncertainty behind each take-off.
While films based on the Indian Air Force have often celebrated courage and action, actor Jimmy Shergill believes very few have truly captured the emotional reality of those who wear the uniform — and the families who wait for them.
The actor, who will soon be seen in Operation Safed Sagar, says the series goes beyond the battlefield to explore the human side of serving in the Air Force.
Speaking exclusively to India Today, Shergill emphasised that most Air Force films have focused on spectacle and heroism, but this series takes a different approach.
The actor said, "There have been a lot of films made on the Air Force. They've shown the drama, the heroism and everything that comes with it. I've myself been a part of many such films. But what you're asking is something beyond that. It's about the emotional aspect of their lives."
"Imagine a pilot taking off every single day. Even if he's just going for a sortie and not into a war, there's always that thought in his mind: Am I going to come back? Am I going to land safely? For that pilot, every take-off is almost like going into battle. And then imagine what his family goes through every time he leaves. Those are the aspects this show explores," he went on.
Shergill said he was impressed by how deeply the makers have explored the lives of Air Force personnel and their families —something he feels has rarely been attempted on screen.
"I think there are very few films or shows that have gone into so much detail. Even in Bollywood, we've made many big films on the Air Force. They've all been heroic, and rightly so, but if you really look at it, The Right Stuff is probably the only film that truly captured the essence of Air Force officers and what their families go through. I think it was made in the '80s. It's a brilliant film —one of the best. It's three-and-a-half hours long, but it feels like it's only one-and-a-half hours because it's so engaging," he added.
Shergill highlighted that Operation Safed Sagar tells a complete story and doesn't leave any loose ends.
He said, "Over here, I feel that for the first time we've gone into that level of detail. Even though this story won't have a second season because it's complete in itself—you may see another season with a different story and different characters, but you won't see this gang again—we've explored the lives of these people in great depth. You're not going to be let down."
Operation Safed Sagar is set to premiere on Netflix on August 7. The film also features actors Siddharth, Abhay Varma, Mihir Ahuja, Dia Mirza and Arnav Bhasin among others.
While films based on the Indian Air Force have often celebrated courage and action, actor Jimmy Shergill believes very few have truly captured the emotional reality of those who wear the uniform — and the families who wait for them.
The actor, who will soon be seen in Operation Safed Sagar, says the series goes beyond the battlefield to explore the human side of serving in the Air Force.
Speaking exclusively to India Today, Shergill emphasised that most Air Force films have focused on spectacle and heroism, but this series takes a different approach.
The actor said, "There have been a lot of films made on the Air Force. They've shown the drama, the heroism and everything that comes with it. I've myself been a part of many such films. But what you're asking is something beyond that. It's about the emotional aspect of their lives."
"Imagine a pilot taking off every single day. Even if he's just going for a sortie and not into a war, there's always that thought in his mind: Am I going to come back? Am I going to land safely? For that pilot, every take-off is almost like going into battle. And then imagine what his family goes through every time he leaves. Those are the aspects this show explores," he went on.
Shergill said he was impressed by how deeply the makers have explored the lives of Air Force personnel and their families —something he feels has rarely been attempted on screen.
"I think there are very few films or shows that have gone into so much detail. Even in Bollywood, we've made many big films on the Air Force. They've all been heroic, and rightly so, but if you really look at it, The Right Stuff is probably the only film that truly captured the essence of Air Force officers and what their families go through. I think it was made in the '80s. It's a brilliant film —one of the best. It's three-and-a-half hours long, but it feels like it's only one-and-a-half hours because it's so engaging," he added.
Shergill highlighted that Operation Safed Sagar tells a complete story and doesn't leave any loose ends.
He said, "Over here, I feel that for the first time we've gone into that level of detail. Even though this story won't have a second season because it's complete in itself—you may see another season with a different story and different characters, but you won't see this gang again—we've explored the lives of these people in great depth. You're not going to be let down."
Operation Safed Sagar is set to premiere on Netflix on August 7. The film also features actors Siddharth, Abhay Varma, Mihir Ahuja, Dia Mirza and Arnav Bhasin among others.
While films based on the Indian Air Force have often celebrated courage and action, actor Jimmy Shergill believes very few have truly captured the emotional reality of those who wear the uniform — and the families who wait for them.
The actor, who will soon be seen in Operation Safed Sagar, says the series goes beyond the battlefield to explore the human side of serving in the Air Force.
Speaking exclusively to India Today, Shergill emphasised that most Air Force films have focused on spectacle and heroism, but this series takes a different approach.
The actor said, "There have been a lot of films made on the Air Force. They've shown the drama, the heroism and everything that comes with it. I've myself been a part of many such films. But what you're asking is something beyond that. It's about the emotional aspect of their lives."
"Imagine a pilot taking off every single day. Even if he's just going for a sortie and not into a war, there's always that thought in his mind: Am I going to come back? Am I going to land safely? For that pilot, every take-off is almost like going into battle. And then imagine what his family goes through every time he leaves. Those are the aspects this show explores," he went on.
Shergill said he was impressed by how deeply the makers have explored the lives of Air Force personnel and their families —something he feels has rarely been attempted on screen.
"I think there are very few films or shows that have gone into so much detail. Even in Bollywood, we've made many big films on the Air Force. They've all been heroic, and rightly so, but if you really look at it, The Right Stuff is probably the only film that truly captured the essence of Air Force officers and what their families go through. I think it was made in the '80s. It's a brilliant film —one of the best. It's three-and-a-half hours long, but it feels like it's only one-and-a-half hours because it's so engaging," he added.
Shergill highlighted that Operation Safed Sagar tells a complete story and doesn't leave any loose ends.
He said, "Over here, I feel that for the first time we've gone into that level of detail. Even though this story won't have a second season because it's complete in itself—you may see another season with a different story and different characters, but you won't see this gang again—we've explored the lives of these people in great depth. You're not going to be let down."
Operation Safed Sagar is set to premiere on Netflix on August 7. The film also features actors Siddharth, Abhay Varma, Mihir Ahuja, Dia Mirza and Arnav Bhasin among others.
