You wonder if you're worthy: Actor Siddharth on wearing the IAF uniform
Actor Siddharth said playing Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja in Operation Safed Sagar left him overwhelmed by the responsibility of the Indian Air Force uniform. He said time on an Air Force base and Alka Ahuja's trust deepened his understanding of sacrifice.
Actor Siddharth says playing Kargil martyr Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja in Operation Safed Sagar has been one of the most emotional experiences of his career. In an exclusive conversation with India Today, the actor opened up about feeling intimidated by the responsibility of wearing the Indian Air Force uniform, the blessing he received from Ajay Ahuja's wife, and how living on an Air Force base gave him a deeper understanding of the lives and sacrifices of India's armed forces.
Speaking exclusively to India Today, Siddharth said the Air Force uniform itself carried an emotional responsibility. "I have played servicemen before, but the Air Force was a first for me. As actors, what we call a costume in our business represents someone else's profession, upbringing and experiences. So, you take it very seriously because it is not you. When it is a uniform that makes you feel so many things without even saying a word, it comes under a very special category. For me, the Air Force was a completely new experience because I had never even been near a MiG fighter, let alone sat inside one," he said.
The actor revealed that despite years in the industry, he questioned whether he deserved the honour of portraying a decorated Air Force officer. "I was scared for many days because you think you are not worthy of this. You wonder what you have done to deserve this honour. And if you misrepresent someone, that fear stays with you. When we wore this uniform for the first time, half of us realised that we were actually going to do this. We had got this opportunity, and we had to live up to it. Till today, that feeling has not changed. I feel that until our last breath, we will remember this uniform in a very unique and special way," said the 47-year-old.
To prepare for the role, Siddharth and the cast spent nearly a month living on an Air Force base, an experience he says transformed their understanding of military life. "We lived on an Air Force base for a month. We saw jets take off and land. We touched the jets, sat inside them and heard their engines. We spent evenings, nights and mornings with the pilots and their families. I got food cooked in Air Force homes throughout the time I was there. Every day, food would come from a different house. We heard stories of people who loved and lost. We heard stories of people who loved and survived. We heard all those stories. We were simply able to become the vessel through which these amazing creators could tell those stories," he recalled.
One of the most emotional moments of Siddharth's journey came while preparing to play Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja. Hoping to better understand the man behind the uniform, the actor asked if there were any audio or video recordings of the Kargil hero. Instead, Ajay Ahuja's wife, Alka Ahuja, sent him a message that left the entire team overwhelmed. "She said, 'I have no recordings of Ajay. But whatever you guys do, that will be my memories of him for life.' That completely shook all of us. It took days for me, Abhijeet and everyone else to come out of it," he said.
Searching for a personal connection with the officer he was portraying, Siddharth made an unusual request. "I wrote to ma'am and asked, 'Can I have his shoelaces?' I just wanted something that belonged to him, something I could hold on to that would help me, guide me and bless me." Instead, Alka Ahuja entrusted him with Ajay Ahuja's flying patches. "She sent me his flying patches. I wore his flying patches for a lot of this experience. I'm going to give them back to her, but I'm just very grateful that she allowed me to touch them and use them as my blessing," he added.
Reflecting on Operation Safed Sagar and the legacy of India's armed forces, Siddharth said the sacrifices made by soldiers remain timeless, regardless of the era. "I think post-Independence, any conflict is essentially the same for one group of people — the ones who are fighting for us. There is no difference between a war fought 20 years ago, 20 years later or even 40 years later. Somebody is promising to lay down his life for you. That status is never going to change," said the actor.
A self-confessed history enthusiast, Siddharth said he had grown up knowing about heroes like Saurabh Kalia and Ajay Ahuja long before the project came his way. "For us as young people, it is important to understand that sacrifice. We already had the passion and enthusiasm, and this experience has only accentuated those feelings."
When asked if social media has changed the way patriotic stories are received, the actor refused to speculate. "It's not in our control at all. We can't even predict it. We are not social media pundits. Purely as citizens of India, we are very grateful to our armed forces. Everybody knows what they have done, and we salute them every day," he said.
Siddharth also believes Operation Safed Sagar offers audiences a fresh perspective on a chapter of Indian military history that is often overshadowed by the larger Kargil narrative. "What makes the telling of Operation Safed Sagar different is that it sheds light on the aerial perspective. You get to see the exact same chapter of history from a completely new point of view. This is not a documentary. It is based on a very important period in India's post-Independence history and tries to do justice to the people who stood on the front lines," he said.
He added, "The only difference between the wars fought 20 or 40 years ago and today is that today there is a lot more conversation around them. But the emotions remain exactly the same. They are universal."
Operation Safed Sagar is all set to release on August 7 on Netflix. The series also stars Jimmy Shergill, Abhay Varma, among others.
Actor Siddharth says playing Kargil martyr Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja in Operation Safed Sagar has been one of the most emotional experiences of his career. In an exclusive conversation with India Today, the actor opened up about feeling intimidated by the responsibility of wearing the Indian Air Force uniform, the blessing he received from Ajay Ahuja's wife, and how living on an Air Force base gave him a deeper understanding of the lives and sacrifices of India's armed forces.
Speaking exclusively to India Today, Siddharth said the Air Force uniform itself carried an emotional responsibility. "I have played servicemen before, but the Air Force was a first for me. As actors, what we call a costume in our business represents someone else's profession, upbringing and experiences. So, you take it very seriously because it is not you. When it is a uniform that makes you feel so many things without even saying a word, it comes under a very special category. For me, the Air Force was a completely new experience because I had never even been near a MiG fighter, let alone sat inside one," he said.
The actor revealed that despite years in the industry, he questioned whether he deserved the honour of portraying a decorated Air Force officer. "I was scared for many days because you think you are not worthy of this. You wonder what you have done to deserve this honour. And if you misrepresent someone, that fear stays with you. When we wore this uniform for the first time, half of us realised that we were actually going to do this. We had got this opportunity, and we had to live up to it. Till today, that feeling has not changed. I feel that until our last breath, we will remember this uniform in a very unique and special way," said the 47-year-old.
To prepare for the role, Siddharth and the cast spent nearly a month living on an Air Force base, an experience he says transformed their understanding of military life. "We lived on an Air Force base for a month. We saw jets take off and land. We touched the jets, sat inside them and heard their engines. We spent evenings, nights and mornings with the pilots and their families. I got food cooked in Air Force homes throughout the time I was there. Every day, food would come from a different house. We heard stories of people who loved and lost. We heard stories of people who loved and survived. We heard all those stories. We were simply able to become the vessel through which these amazing creators could tell those stories," he recalled.
One of the most emotional moments of Siddharth's journey came while preparing to play Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja. Hoping to better understand the man behind the uniform, the actor asked if there were any audio or video recordings of the Kargil hero. Instead, Ajay Ahuja's wife, Alka Ahuja, sent him a message that left the entire team overwhelmed. "She said, 'I have no recordings of Ajay. But whatever you guys do, that will be my memories of him for life.' That completely shook all of us. It took days for me, Abhijeet and everyone else to come out of it," he said.
Searching for a personal connection with the officer he was portraying, Siddharth made an unusual request. "I wrote to ma'am and asked, 'Can I have his shoelaces?' I just wanted something that belonged to him, something I could hold on to that would help me, guide me and bless me." Instead, Alka Ahuja entrusted him with Ajay Ahuja's flying patches. "She sent me his flying patches. I wore his flying patches for a lot of this experience. I'm going to give them back to her, but I'm just very grateful that she allowed me to touch them and use them as my blessing," he added.
Reflecting on Operation Safed Sagar and the legacy of India's armed forces, Siddharth said the sacrifices made by soldiers remain timeless, regardless of the era. "I think post-Independence, any conflict is essentially the same for one group of people — the ones who are fighting for us. There is no difference between a war fought 20 years ago, 20 years later or even 40 years later. Somebody is promising to lay down his life for you. That status is never going to change," said the actor.
A self-confessed history enthusiast, Siddharth said he had grown up knowing about heroes like Saurabh Kalia and Ajay Ahuja long before the project came his way. "For us as young people, it is important to understand that sacrifice. We already had the passion and enthusiasm, and this experience has only accentuated those feelings."
When asked if social media has changed the way patriotic stories are received, the actor refused to speculate. "It's not in our control at all. We can't even predict it. We are not social media pundits. Purely as citizens of India, we are very grateful to our armed forces. Everybody knows what they have done, and we salute them every day," he said.
Siddharth also believes Operation Safed Sagar offers audiences a fresh perspective on a chapter of Indian military history that is often overshadowed by the larger Kargil narrative. "What makes the telling of Operation Safed Sagar different is that it sheds light on the aerial perspective. You get to see the exact same chapter of history from a completely new point of view. This is not a documentary. It is based on a very important period in India's post-Independence history and tries to do justice to the people who stood on the front lines," he said.
He added, "The only difference between the wars fought 20 or 40 years ago and today is that today there is a lot more conversation around them. But the emotions remain exactly the same. They are universal."
Operation Safed Sagar is all set to release on August 7 on Netflix. The series also stars Jimmy Shergill, Abhay Varma, among others.
Actor Siddharth says playing Kargil martyr Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja in Operation Safed Sagar has been one of the most emotional experiences of his career. In an exclusive conversation with India Today, the actor opened up about feeling intimidated by the responsibility of wearing the Indian Air Force uniform, the blessing he received from Ajay Ahuja's wife, and how living on an Air Force base gave him a deeper understanding of the lives and sacrifices of India's armed forces.
Speaking exclusively to India Today, Siddharth said the Air Force uniform itself carried an emotional responsibility. "I have played servicemen before, but the Air Force was a first for me. As actors, what we call a costume in our business represents someone else's profession, upbringing and experiences. So, you take it very seriously because it is not you. When it is a uniform that makes you feel so many things without even saying a word, it comes under a very special category. For me, the Air Force was a completely new experience because I had never even been near a MiG fighter, let alone sat inside one," he said.
The actor revealed that despite years in the industry, he questioned whether he deserved the honour of portraying a decorated Air Force officer. "I was scared for many days because you think you are not worthy of this. You wonder what you have done to deserve this honour. And if you misrepresent someone, that fear stays with you. When we wore this uniform for the first time, half of us realised that we were actually going to do this. We had got this opportunity, and we had to live up to it. Till today, that feeling has not changed. I feel that until our last breath, we will remember this uniform in a very unique and special way," said the 47-year-old.
To prepare for the role, Siddharth and the cast spent nearly a month living on an Air Force base, an experience he says transformed their understanding of military life. "We lived on an Air Force base for a month. We saw jets take off and land. We touched the jets, sat inside them and heard their engines. We spent evenings, nights and mornings with the pilots and their families. I got food cooked in Air Force homes throughout the time I was there. Every day, food would come from a different house. We heard stories of people who loved and lost. We heard stories of people who loved and survived. We heard all those stories. We were simply able to become the vessel through which these amazing creators could tell those stories," he recalled.
One of the most emotional moments of Siddharth's journey came while preparing to play Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja. Hoping to better understand the man behind the uniform, the actor asked if there were any audio or video recordings of the Kargil hero. Instead, Ajay Ahuja's wife, Alka Ahuja, sent him a message that left the entire team overwhelmed. "She said, 'I have no recordings of Ajay. But whatever you guys do, that will be my memories of him for life.' That completely shook all of us. It took days for me, Abhijeet and everyone else to come out of it," he said.
Searching for a personal connection with the officer he was portraying, Siddharth made an unusual request. "I wrote to ma'am and asked, 'Can I have his shoelaces?' I just wanted something that belonged to him, something I could hold on to that would help me, guide me and bless me." Instead, Alka Ahuja entrusted him with Ajay Ahuja's flying patches. "She sent me his flying patches. I wore his flying patches for a lot of this experience. I'm going to give them back to her, but I'm just very grateful that she allowed me to touch them and use them as my blessing," he added.
Reflecting on Operation Safed Sagar and the legacy of India's armed forces, Siddharth said the sacrifices made by soldiers remain timeless, regardless of the era. "I think post-Independence, any conflict is essentially the same for one group of people — the ones who are fighting for us. There is no difference between a war fought 20 years ago, 20 years later or even 40 years later. Somebody is promising to lay down his life for you. That status is never going to change," said the actor.
A self-confessed history enthusiast, Siddharth said he had grown up knowing about heroes like Saurabh Kalia and Ajay Ahuja long before the project came his way. "For us as young people, it is important to understand that sacrifice. We already had the passion and enthusiasm, and this experience has only accentuated those feelings."
When asked if social media has changed the way patriotic stories are received, the actor refused to speculate. "It's not in our control at all. We can't even predict it. We are not social media pundits. Purely as citizens of India, we are very grateful to our armed forces. Everybody knows what they have done, and we salute them every day," he said.
Siddharth also believes Operation Safed Sagar offers audiences a fresh perspective on a chapter of Indian military history that is often overshadowed by the larger Kargil narrative. "What makes the telling of Operation Safed Sagar different is that it sheds light on the aerial perspective. You get to see the exact same chapter of history from a completely new point of view. This is not a documentary. It is based on a very important period in India's post-Independence history and tries to do justice to the people who stood on the front lines," he said.
He added, "The only difference between the wars fought 20 or 40 years ago and today is that today there is a lot more conversation around them. But the emotions remain exactly the same. They are universal."
Operation Safed Sagar is all set to release on August 7 on Netflix. The series also stars Jimmy Shergill, Abhay Varma, among others.
