When it comes to Indian cinema’s relationship with the 1999 Kargil War, we have mostly viewed it from the craggy, unforgiving trenches of the Himalayas through classics like “Lakshya” and “Shershaah.” But Netflix’s “Operation Safed Sagar” dares to look up. It takes to the skies to tell the story of the Indian Air Force’s Golden Arrows Squadron, capturing a near-impossible feat pulled off with sheer grit, strategy, and a genius dose of tactical jugaad. Yet, what makes “Safed Sagar” feel like a breath of fresh Himalayan air is not just its high-altitude dogfights; it is its restraint. In a genre often choked by chest-thumping and over-the-top, screaming monologues, this six-episode series soars by keeping its feet firmly on the ground. It is patriotic, not jingoistic, high-stakes, yet remarkably quiet where it counts.
— Adit Ganguly, Variety India
