Why Operation Safed Sagar ends every episode with a Raju Srivastav tribute

Every episode of Operation Safed Sagar ends with a note thanking late comedian Raju Srivastav. The tribute reflects his personal connection to the Netflix series, which co-creator Kushal Srivastava said would not have been possible without his support.

The Jimmy Shergill and Siddharth-starrer also carried emotional value for the family because it was among the last projects Raju Srivastav knew about before his death in September 2022. The project was first planned as a film before it was later reworked as a series and approved by Netflix in May 2022.

In an interview with India Today, Kushal explained why he chose to include his uncle's name in the credits and recalled how Raju supported him throughout his career.

Kushal served in the Indian Air Force for seven years. He joined the force in December 1999, shortly after the Kargil War, and continued serving until 2016. He later moved to Mumbai to study filmmaking.

Kushal’s connection with films began with his uncle Raju. In Class 6, Raju first took him to film shoots in Bombay, giving him an early glimpse of the industry. “I was in awe of him and firmly believed that my uncle was the most powerful. No one is bigger than him,” he recalled.

Raju later took him to sets where he met actors including Johnny Lever and Mithun Chakraborty. But one moment on the set of an N Chandra film stayed with him. Kushal watched the director lose his temper after a shot involving actors dressed as dacoits.

“I don’t remember which film it was, but as soon as the scene ended, the director scolded everyone. ‘Johnny, what are you doing? Raju, you did it wrong.’ I was shocked that someone could scold stars like them. I asked my uncle who this man was,” he said.

When Raju explained that he was the director, Kushal was fascinated. “I asked him what he was doing, and he explained that the director leads the film. I was shocked that someone like Amitabh Bachchan doesn’t get angry himself; he is asked by a director to emote. And in return, these actors can make the world cry and laugh. That’s when I decided to become a director.”

t would take years for that childhood decision to become a career. Kushal served in the Indian Air Force before moving into filmmaking. He later assisted filmmakers including JP Dutta and Anurag Basu before making his directorial debut with Vodka Diaries in 2018. His journey eventually led to Operation Safed Sagar, the Netflix series about the 1999 Kargil War and the Indian Air Force’s role in the conflict.

The project had been years in the making and drew on Kushal’s own connection with the Air Force, as well as his research into the officers and pilots at the centre of the story.

Raju Srivastava, however, did not get to see the finished series. The comedian died in September 2022, before Operation Safed Sagar reached the screen. Kushal said his uncle knew about the project and its journey. “It’s sad that he couldn’t watch the project. But at least it started in front of him. He knew we were doing this and we had gotten all the approvals. We also took some help,” he said.

Kushal clarified that the help was not about Raju producing the project or pulling strings for his nephew, but about the goodwill and relationships he had built in the industry over the years. When the team was seeking permissions from the Ministry of Defence, those connections helped them reach the right people.

“He was so well known and connected. He really helped us reach the right people through his network,” Kushal said.

He also recalled meeting Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, whose story features in the series. Dhanoa, Kushal said, told him that he was a fan of Raju Srivastava and would joke with his team about Raju’s family making a film on him.

Even Netflix vice president of content Monika Shergill had known Raju professionally from their Laughter Challenge days on Star One. “It was never about using his name, but he will always be a part of our journey too,” Kushal said, adding that Raju’s daughter Antara Srivastav also played an integral role in the research and making of the show. Antara is the associate director of the series.

Operation Safed Sagar is streaming on Netflix. Kushal’s documentary The Last Salute will premiere on August 26 and features Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh and pilots who flew the MiG-21 across decades of service. The film brings together personal memories, untold stories and archival moments as the Indian Air Force bids farewell to the iconic aircraft.

Raju Srivastav worked in television and films for nearly three decades. He was particularly known for his observational stand-up comedy and the popular character Gajodhar Bhaiya. He died in 2022 at the age of 58.