Siddharth played the role of Ajay Ahuja, the real-life Kargil hero and an Indian Air Force fighter pilot. Here's what we know about him.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleNetflix show, Operation Safed Sagar, is currently the talk of the town. The series starring Siddharth, Jimmy Shergill, Dia Mirza and more premiered today, on August 7, 2026. The story of the Netflix series is set during the time of the 1999 Kargil War and shows the sacrifices of the men working for the Indian Air Force. Amid the buzz, people have grown curious to know the real man behind the character, 'Ajay Ahuja' played by Siddharth.
Ajay Ahuja was born in Kota, Rajasthan. He graduated from the National Defence Academy before being commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 1985. During the 14 years of his illustrious career, Ajay flew MiG-21 and MiG-23 aircraft and logged more than 1,000 hours as a flying instructor and earned a reputation for being a patient mentor and accomplished fighter pilot. During the Kargil War, Ajay Ahuja was the Flight Commander of No. 17 Squadron, known as the Golden Arrows.
The squadron is specialised in taking aerial reconnaissance (surveillance) photographs, and these pictures helped the Indian military collect important information, locate enemy positions, and plan attacks during Operation Safed Sagar. He was very dedicated and committed to the Indian Air Force. In a past interview with TOI, Ajay’s wife, Alka Ahuja, opened up about the following. She said:
"Flight Lieutenant Ajay Ahuja told me that I was his second wife immediately upon my marriage. But when he explained that his first wife is none other than the Indian Air Force, I felt proud and found in him not only a loving husband but a person who had immense love for the motherland."
On May 27, 1999, during the Kargil War, Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja was flying a photo reconnaissance mission over the Batalik sector as part of the Indian Air Force's air operation named Operation Safed Sagar. During this mission, Flight Lieutenant K. Nachiketa's MiG-27 fighter jet was hit by enemy fire and developed a technical problem. Thus, he had to eject and land in an area controlled by Pakistani forces.
Even though Ajay knew the area was dangerous because Pakistani troops had surface-to-air missiles that could shoot down the aircraft, he chose to stay in the air to locate Nachiketa. Despite the risk, he kept flying over the area. In a tragic turn of events, Ajay's MiG-21 was hit by a Stinger surface-to-air missile. According to the Indian government, Ajay was captured alive after landing. His body was returned to India the next day, and his autopsy reportedly showed gunshot wounds.
Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja became the first officer from the Indian Air Force to lay down his life during the Kargil War, and he was posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra, India’s third-highest wartime gallantry award. Speaking to The Tribune on the 25th anniversary of the Kargil War, former Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa, who was Ajay Ahuja’s commanding officer during the Kargil conflict, opened up about his extraordinary journey and his sacrifice. In his words:
"Ahuja went beyond the call of duty. He sacrificed his life for his colleague Flight Lieutenant K. Nachiketa. Ahuja was trying to guide a helicopter to the crash site."
During the trailer launch event of Operation Safed Sagar, Siddharth spoke about taking on the role of Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja. He admitted that he initially hesitated to portray a real-life martyr. In his words:
"My first reaction was hesitation because there's a way that heroes are depicted in our entertainment, especially a martyr. Firstly, I feel that they're not here to defend or question your interpretation. So I find that difficult. And secondly, the moment you know someone is a martyr, we tend to sterilise them, we tend to whitewash them, we tend to make them one certain kind of person; none of us is like that. And heroes don't look like heroes. They are heroes because of their actions."
Have you watched the Netflix series, Operation Safed Sagar? Let us know.
Also Read: Meet Mini Mathur's Husband Kabir Khan, A Filmmaker Who Has Been Married To Her For Over Two Decades