India, Aug. 15 -- For filmmaker Kushal Srivastava, his web series Operation Safed Sagar is deeply personal. The former Air Force official, who served as a Non-Commissioned Officer in logistics from 1999 to 2006, says the idea had stayed with him for years. "It started back in 2018, but the story had lived with me since I joined the Air Force in December 1999, the year the war happened," he says, adding, "During my stint, like many others, I heard stories and instances of the valour of the soldiers who were part of the war." Initially imagined as a feature film, the project evolved after the OTT boom. "I had two titles in mind, Golden Arrows, after the squadron name, and Operation Safed Sagar. I always thought only a movie could do justice to the story, but after the pandemic, OTT changed the game. We could tell it in much more detail," he shares. Srivastava, nephew of late comedian Raju Srivastava, admits there was pressure to deliver: "After Dhurandhar, everybody was saying, 'Waise kuch banana hai.' But we had to fight as a team so that the path opens for those who come after us. We also wanted to revisit the India we came from, with all its shades of love and compassion. Nafrat lekar kaun ghoom sakta hai? Koi nahin." His Air Force background also became an asset on set. "Be it parades, uniforms of that era or the setups, I tried to guide them through everything. I even brought in my old uniform to help recreate the soldiers' uniforms." The biggest validation came from the Armed Forces themselves. Recalling a meeting with Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Srivastava says, "He told me, 'Air Force apni kahani kehte nahin. You people did a good job.' He especially appreciated that soldiers from both sides were shown respectfully. That made our day."...