Siddharth
Bollywood

Siddharth Honoured for a Powerhouse Performance as Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja in Operation Safed Sagar: “It’s been a nice dream to play a hero who is really a hero”

Cine Reporter

Siddharth continues to receive widespread acclaim for his standout role in the hit release, Operation #SafedSagar. His powerful portrayal of Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja resonated deeply with audiences and earned him the Best Actor (Male) OTT Award for the Netflix series. Echoing the revolutionary spirit of his 2006 iconic film Rang De Basanti, the actor brought an authentic and emotional intensity to his depiction of the lives of Indian Air Force officers.

“Rang De Basanti 2006 mein release hui thi aur itne saalon mein Hindi bhaasha mein adakari karne mein yeh mera pehla Best Actor award hain. First and foremost, thank you to Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja – getting to play a part of his life on-screen has been one of the most incredible honours of my life. And I want to thank Alka Ahuja ma’am for giving me permission to play her husband. I’d like to thank the Indian Air Force for giving me permission to wear the uniform,” he says.

Playing Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja offered him the same purpose that Rang De Basanti did nearly two decades ago. “It’s been a nice dream to play a hero who is really a hero, and I found that in Bhagat Singh 20 years ago, and I found that purpose again in Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja. It helps people like me believe that in the age of OTT, there’s good work and there are people who recognise artists and give them roles like this.”

Donning a uniform and justifying the responsibility that comes with it are two different elements, and Siddarth acknowledges the same, stating that he gets to walk into the shoes of bravehearts and not live their part. “Bharatiya Vaayu Sena ne humse ye likh ke liya tha ke hum unhe jitna realistically portray kar sakenge, hum wo hi kare. My learning is that sometimes the most incredible, most dramatic things happen when you just are, and that’s how they happen in real life,” he concludes.

Operation Safed Sagar brought Siddharth together with Abhay Verma, Jimmy Shergill, Dia Mirza and several others under the umbrella of celebrating the contributions of the Indian Air Force during the Kargil War.

By Keerti Kadam