Actor Akshat Saxena has opened up about his personal connection to Operation Safed Sagar, revealing that his late father, Wing Commander Pankaj Saxena, was a Mirage 2000 pilot who served during the 1999 Kargil War.
Akshat is making his acting debut with Operation Safed Sagar, a series based on events surrounding the Kargil conflict and the Indian Air Force's operations during the war. For the actor, the project carries a significance beyond his first appearance on screen because his father was directly involved in the operation.
According to Akshat's account, his father was called up for Operation Safed Sagar when Akshat was eight years old. The family knew that an active conflict was taking place but had limited information about his father's exact duties because operational details were not discussed at home.
Wing Commander Pankaj Saxena had been commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 1981 and served as a Mirage pilot with several Mirage squadrons. During the Kargil conflict, he was serving as an examiner before being asked to report to a forward base. He later passed away following a cardiac arrest in July 2022.
The family connection to military aviation has had a significant influence on Akshat's life. Before entering the entertainment industry, he spent more than a decade working as a commercial pilot. He eventually decided to leave aviation and pursue his long-standing interest in acting and theatre.
His transition from the cockpit to acting has now come full circle through Operation Safed Sagar. Although Akshat does not play a fighter pilot in the series, he portrays a fighter controller, a role that he considers equally important in military aviation.
Akshat has explained that fighter controllers work closely with fighter pilots during operations. They monitor developments, communicate with pilots and help guide them as missions unfold. The actor said that the relationship between fighter pilots and controllers is highly collaborative and leaves little room for error.
Preparing for the role also gave Akshat an opportunity to reconnect with the aviation environment he had known throughout his life. He spoke with friends serving in the Indian Air Force to understand the responsibilities and working methods of fighter controllers.
One of the most emotional aspects of the project was wearing the Indian Air Force uniform. Akshat has described the experience as a moment of pride because his father had worn a similar uniform while serving as a fighter pilot.
His connection with the Mirage 2000 is particularly significant. His father was involved in missions during Operation Safed Sagar, and the aircraft played an important role in the Indian Air Force's air operations during the Kargil conflict.
For Akshat, portraying a character connected to military aviation therefore involved both professional preparation and personal memories. The project allowed him to revisit an important period of his childhood from a different perspective.
The actor has also recalled that his father rarely shared specific operational details with the family. Like many military families, they understood the seriousness of the situation without knowing exactly where or how their loved one was operating.
Akshat's own career initially followed the path of aviation. He had wanted to become a pilot from a young age after watching his father fly. Although his first ambition was reportedly to join the Indian Air Force, he eventually chose commercial aviation and spent years flying passenger aircraft.
His younger brother, Captain Aman Saxena, also became a commercial pilot, continuing the family's connection with aviation.
The decision to move into acting came later. Akshat had an interest in theatre and participated in stage productions before getting an opportunity to audition for Operation Safed Sagar. His aviation background was already known to people involved in the casting process, which helped connect him with the project.
The series marks a major change in his professional journey. After spending years in the cockpit, Akshat is now appearing in front of the camera in a project connected to the same world that shaped his childhood.
His role also allowed him to work alongside established performers. Akshat has spoken positively about sharing the screen with actors including Adil Hussain, Jimmy Shergill and Siddharth.
Adil Hussain has a particularly special connection to Akshat's acting journey because Akshat had previously attended an acting workshop with him. Seeing his mentor on the set while both were dressed in Air Force uniforms became another memorable experience for the actor.
Operation Safed Sagar revisits an important chapter in India's military history. The 1999 Kargil War took place between India and Pakistan between May and July, with Indian forces eventually recapturing positions occupied by Pakistani intruders. The Indian Air Force's Operation Safed Sagar formed an important part of India's military response during the conflict.
The project has attracted attention because it combines historical events with personal stories of people connected to the conflict. Akshat's family history provides one such personal connection.
His father was not simply associated with the Air Force as a service member. He was a Mirage 2000 pilot who participated in the actual operation that the series seeks to portray. This makes Akshat's presence in the project particularly meaningful.
The actor has said that his father's legacy influenced his approach to the role. Wearing the uniform and working on a project based on the operation gave him a sense that two different parts of his life were coming together.
Akshat's story also illustrates the transition from aviation to entertainment. His experience as a pilot provided him with knowledge of aircraft and aviation culture, while his theatre experience helped him move toward acting.
The combination of these two backgrounds became useful when he was cast as a fighter controller. Rather than portraying a character with no connection to his own experience, he was able to draw from his understanding of aviation while learning the specific responsibilities of the role.
The actor has also expressed an interest in taking on different characters as his acting career develops. Operation Safed Sagar represents his first major step into the industry, but he hopes to explore a range of roles in the future.
For audiences, Akshat's personal story adds another dimension to the series. His connection to the Kargil War is not simply part of the character he portrays. It is connected to his own family history.
The fact that his father participated in the operation while Akshat was a child makes his decision to portray a character in the same historical setting particularly significant.
His journey from watching his father serve as a fighter pilot to wearing an Air Force uniform himself for an acting project has created a unique connection between his childhood memories and his new profession.
Akshat has described this experience as deeply personal and a source of pride. His father's service continues to influence the way he views aviation and his new career in acting.
Operation Safed Sagar therefore represents more than an acting debut for Akshat Saxena. It brings together his family background, his years in aviation and his interest in performance.
As the series reaches audiences, his story is likely to remain one of the more personal aspects surrounding the project. His father's role as a Mirage 2000 pilot during the Kargil conflict gives the actor a direct family connection to the historical events being portrayed.
For Akshat, stepping in front of the camera has become a way of beginning a new career while remaining connected to the aviation world that shaped his early life.
The actor's journey demonstrates how personal history can influence creative choices. From following his father into aviation to eventually choosing acting, Akshat Saxena has now found himself portraying a role connected to the same military aviation environment that was part of his childhood.
His debut in Operation Safed Sagar has therefore become a significant milestone, combining professional ambition with a deeply personal family legacy.