Abhay Verma on artistic liberation: 'Understanding responsibility is true freedom'
Synopsis
Abhay Verma flips the script on artistic freedom: for him, true liberation as an actor isn't about unconstrained expression — it's about honouring the weight of what you're depicting. Playing a real Kargil war hero in a series co-produced by the Indian Air Force, with access to classified military sites, he argues that responsibility IS the freedom.
Key Takeaways
Abhay Verma plays Wing Commander Rajpal Singh Dhaliwal in the Netflix series Operation Safed Sagar .
Verma defines artistic liberation as understanding and honouring one's responsibility to the subject, not simply freedom of expression.
The Indian Air Force served as a co-producer on the show, granting the team access to classified locations ordinarily closed to civilians.
The series is based on the real Operation Safed Sagar , launched on 26 May 1999 , which deployed the MiG-27 , MiG-21 , Mirage 2000 , and Mi-17 during the Kargil War .
It was the first large-scale IAF airpower deployment in Jammu and Kashmir since the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War .
Verma also expressed personal opposition to war, calling the lives of innocents 'too precious.'
Actor Abhay Verma, who portrays Wing Commander Rajpal Singh Dhaliwal in the Netflix streaming series Operation Safed Sagar, has opened up about what artistic liberation truly means to him — redefining it not as unfettered expression, but as a deep sense of responsibility toward the story being told.
Redefining Liberation
Speaking after the show's release, Verma offered a nuanced take on creative freedom. 'For me, liberation doesn't mean living freely in terms of artiste. Liberation means when you understand the responsibility that you hold, and to present it the way as it should be. That is liberation for me, that is freedom for me. And, that is when I believe as an artiste, I win,' he said.
The statement stands in contrast to the conventional notion of artistic freedom as the absence of constraint. For Verma, accountability to the subject — in this case, a real military operation and the men who flew it — is what defines genuine creative fulfilment.
Indian Air Force as Co-Producer
A significant factor in shaping the series was the active involvement of the Indian Air Force, which served as a co-producer on the show. Verma credited this partnership as central to the production's authenticity.
'We were really thankful that the air force was also producers on the show, and their support throughout the making of the show has been immense. I don't think without them the show would have been made the way it is,' he said. The team was reportedly granted access to classified locations ordinarily off-limits to civilians — an unprecedented level of institutional cooperation for a streaming production.
Verma described the experience of learning about India's defence capabilities firsthand as 'a liberating process,' adding that witnessing the country's military strength up close gave the cast and crew a deeper appreciation of the 1999 Kargil War and its significance.
About Operation Safed Sagar
The series is based on the real combined-arms operation of the same name, in which the Indian Air Force provided critical air support to Indian Army ground forces during the Kargil conflict. Launched on 26 May 1999, the operation targeted Pakistani positions entrenched on high-altitude peaks after initial ground advances faced stiff resistance.
Flying under strict orders not to cross the Line of Control, the IAF deployed the MiG-27, MiG-21, Mirage 2000, and Mi-17 helicopters. Precision strikes by the Mirage 2000 destroyed enemy bunkers, supply routes, and logistics hubs, ultimately enabling Indian Army troops to recapture strategic heights. It was the first large-scale use of airpower in Jammu and Kashmir since the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
A Personal Note on War
Despite the subject matter, Verma was candid about his personal pacifism. 'I don't really like wars. I wish they didn't exist. I wish the situation of war doesn't prevail now anywhere in the world because the lives of innocents are too precious to be just given like that,' he said.
The remark adds a layer of moral complexity to his portrayal — an actor who disagrees with war on principle, yet chose to honour those who fought one. Operation Safed Sagar is currently streaming on Netflix.
Point of View
Raising legitimate questions about editorial independence. That Verma simultaneously professes pacifism while playing a war hero is a tension the series itself will need to resolve on screen. Whether Operation Safed Sagar earns its subject or simply spectacularises it is a question audiences and critics will answer — but the actor's reflective tone suggests the production at least attempted the former.
NationPress
27 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Abhay Verma playing in Operation Safed Sagar?
Abhay Verma plays Wing Commander Rajpal Singh Dhaliwal in the Netflix series Operation Safed Sagar, a dramatisation of the Indian Air Force's real air campaign during the 1999 Kargil War.
What is Operation Safed Sagar about?
Operation Safed Sagar was a real combined-arms military operation launched on 26 May 1999, in which the Indian Air Force provided air support to Indian Army ground forces during the Kargil War. The IAF deployed MiG-27, MiG-21, Mirage 2000, and Mi-17 aircraft to strike Pakistani positions on high-altitude peaks along the Line of Control.
Was the Indian Air Force involved in making the Netflix series?
Yes. The Indian Air Force served as a co-producer on the series, providing the production team with access to classified locations not ordinarily accessible to civilians. Abhay Verma credited this partnership as essential to the show's authenticity.
Where can viewers watch Operation Safed Sagar?
Operation Safed Sagar is available to stream on Netflix.
What does Abhay Verma mean by artistic liberation?
Verma defines artistic liberation not as unconstrained expression, but as the actor's understanding of and accountability to the responsibility they carry when portraying real events and real people. He has said that this sense of responsibility is, for him, the true meaning of creative freedom.
