Retiring but with swag: The Last Salute director says MiG-21 is like Clint Eastwood

The MiG-21 has retired, but Kushal Srivastav is not quite ready to let it go. After creating the much-appreciated Operation Safed Sagar, he directed The Last Salute, a Netflix documentary on the iconic fighter jet and its long association with the force. For Kushal, the project was born out of a deeply personal connection with the aircraft. Having served in the Air Force from 1999 to 2006, watching the aircraft finally bow out brought back memories of his years in uniform.

In an exclusive chat with India Today, the filmmaker said he would get goosebumps hearing people talk about the aircraft while interviewing them for the documentary. He described the MiG-21 almost like an ageing movie star. “I used to see the MiG-21 like Clint Eastwood. He is a hero who is a little old now, and retiring. Even then, he has swag; the voice is deep,” he shared with a smile.

Kushal said the idea for the documentary came when he approached Matchbox, the film's production house, after watching MiG-21's final chapter unfold, asking if he could film its last major public appearance. The production backed the idea, funded the project and, once it was pitched to Netflix, the streamer came on board almost immediately.

Watch the teaser here:

From the Air Force to Operation Safed Sagar

But The Last Salute is only the latest chapter in Kushal's long-running relationship with the Air Force. Before turning filmmaker, he served in the force from 1999 to 2006 after being inspired by the Kargil War. Over time, however, he realised he wanted to become a storyteller. His years in uniform also made him realise that few people know the humans behind the uniform, largely because military life remains inaccessible to civilians.

And a few years back, when he was approached to make a film (Operation Safed Sagar) about the Air Force and Kargil, Kushal travelled across Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune, Chandigarh, Delhi and parts of Punjab, meeting war heroes and gathering stories. He first developed it as a feature film, but COVID-19 stalled the project as its VFX-heavy scale became too risky. He eventually took it to Netflix, where it evolved into a series with co-creator Abhijeet Singh Parmar.

By then, Kushal had already recorded nearly 80 hours of interviews with fighter pilots, assembled extensive research, and pitched a 90-page script.

He wanted to tell the stories behind the uniform

But he wanted something very different from a standard war drama. Instead of a Top Gun-style spectacle, he wanted to explore the lives of real soldiers - their wives, families and struggles. “It is not the life of a Tom Cruise but a real soldier,” he said, recalling how many pilots came from small towns and humble backgrounds, and some could fly fighter jets before learning to ride a two-wheeler.

Even the dialogue reflected that philosophy. One line he insisted on keeping was, “This is my first war too.” He also avoided turning Pakistani soldiers into caricatures, saying his Air Force training taught him to respect the uniform, regardless of nationality.

For the cast, Kushal wanted actors who would surrender to the world rather than merely perform it. Jimmy Shergill was his first choice, thanks to a connection that went back to Kushal's internship days. While younger actors were chosen only if they were willing to live like a soldier, Siddharth was cast in the role that demanded people cry when he died on screen. “I remember producers wanting to play the role when we pitched the script. But it was to be played by an earnest actor like him,” he said with a smile.

Authenticity extended to the smallest details. Kushal relied on notes from his Air Force days, even bringing his old clothes to the costume designer because the uniforms of 1999 looked different. “Some fighter pilots were surprised to see that we matched the looks so well,” he said.

Even songs came from memories of life in the force

The inclusion of Baazigar's Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhein also came from memory, not from the desire to evoke nostalgia. “We actually used to dance to the songs of the recent movies. This squadron used to do the Slosh; they were famous for that. And I remember that song was our favourite, so we picked it. We also didn't want to make it very Bollywood-y with dance songs,” he said.

And the biggest validation came from the Air Force itself. Kushal admitted he was nervous about how the force would react, but senior officers embraced the series, with the current chief attending the teaser launch and top-ranking officers turning up for the premiere.

“I was in the lowest rank, and yet so many seniors came to support me. It was very emotional,” he said, adding that the families of the officers portrayed also welcomed the series. “There have been times when I called Martyr Ajay Ahuja's wife and ended up disconnecting because I would tear up. But they all have given me so much love.”

The messages that mean the most to him now come from children who want to join the Indian Air Force after watching Operation Safed Sagar. “There is no award beyond that,” Kushal Srivastava said, adding that he now sees it as his responsibility to keep bringing stories from the world behind Air Force stations to the screen.

His next, The Last Salute, will begin to stream on Netflix from August 28.