Siddharth Shares What Made Operation Safed Sagar 'Special' For Him

It's been two decades since Hindi cinema audiences first got introduced to Siddharth in Rang De Basanti. All those years later, he's back in the limelight as Kargil War hero, Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja, in Netflix's Operation Safed Sagar. Not that he hasn't had Hindi language releases since, but something about this new show feels special. Maybe it's because it's in sharp contrast to the jingoistic narratives that are often passes as nationalism on screen. As the show continues to win laurels everywhere, we sat down with Siddharth to talk about his journey so far, his upcoming international debut & everything else in between.  

Edited excerpts:

Were you anticipating this reaction to Operation Safed Sagar? 

From the day I read it, I knew Operation Safed Sagar was a very, very special project. It’s better to say that all we had hoped and dreamt of is coming true today. But having said that, I've always believed in what's said in the Gita: you don’t do things for the end result. You do it for the process. You do it for the integrity and the truth of it. And for me, the truth of this project is one person, and that’s Alka Ahuja ma’am. When I agreed to do the project, I only asked one major binary question: Did she give us permission to do this? Because it’s one thing to talk about a son of the soil, a martyr of a great country, and the military history and exploits of his, with the permission of the Indian Air Force and the armed forces. The other thing is to tell the story of a person who is still very much a part of the day-to-day life of another human being, who is there forever, who is there now, who is there in the past, who is there in the future. The review she has given me, which I will always cherish, is the reaction that I did this for. 

So what was her feedback? 

She wanted an accurate depiction of what happened in Kargil, and she said, “You have all done that beautifully, with so much research, and it was so well made.” And I told her, “Did I pass?” And she held my face and said, “With more than distinction.” So that was the biggest review and compliment that I got for my performance. 

What really struck a chord was its realism. No chest-thumping bravado or slogans. You portrayed men who didn’t want to become heroes; they just did what they believed in. Was that something you were all very conscious and conscientious about? 

There’s no simple way to answer this question. I take my work very, very, very seriously, especially if I’m playing a real-life martyr, which I’ve only done once before as Shahid Bhagat Singh, and I’ve not done it in 20 years. This is the 20th anniversary of Rang De Basanti, and this is the year that Operation Safed Sagar has come out. Before I accepted the role, I asked them, “What are your intentions? Are you trying to make money? Are you trying to get applause? Are you trying to create zeitgeist where the whole world wakes up?” Because when you have those intentions, the easiest way to do it is with the way you described it. They said that they wanted to make a human story, and that’s the reason I said yes. Because for me, heroes don’t look like heroes. And just because they are the greatest heroes in history, when we depict them, we shouldn't superimpose our impressions of what we think a hero should be. I’m just happy that we are able to amplify what they did. At a time when we are in such a hurry to make heroes out of actors, cricketers and politicians, I just want people to know real heroes. And that’s all it is. 

Looking back at your career, there seems to be a recurring interest in characters who are caught up in something larger than themselves. 

Maybe it has got to do with the way I have been raised. I’ve always fought for the right things in my life. I’ve got into lots and lots of trouble in the last two decades for my opinions. If I’m playing a hero, I would like him to be a real hero. I will not play a bad person and make you think he’s a hero. 

You are all set for your American debut in the adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth. 

All I can share is what you know. It’s an adaptation being produced by John Wells, and it’s got an incredible cast and a bunch of wonderful directors. And I’m not allowed to speak about my character, but I can repeat that it's that it’s a relationship drama. And yeah, it allows me to again be something that I’m not — somebody who’s from the U.S., who’s never been to India. So that’s an interesting space.