Director Omi Sen strikes a good balance between politics and human emotions. What gives the show a certain novelty is the portrayal of Kargil War through the eyes of Indian Air Force. Yes, it follows the format of a tearjerker to the t and some of it is carefully curated to make the viewers hate Pakistan. Having said that the show is largely gripping even if you aren’t into war dramas. The sprawling cast headed by Siddarth, Jimmy Shergill, Abhay Verma and Mihir Ahuja also makes OSS gripping
Starcast: Siddarth, Jimmy Shergill, Abhay Verma, Mihir Ahuja, Vinay Pathak, Manu Rishi Chadda, Dia Mirza, Amrita Bagchi, Prajakta Kohli and others
Genre: War drama
Creators: Kushal Srivastava and Abhijeet Singh Parmar
Director: Omi Sen
Writers: Sandeep Jain, Nikhil Ravi and Barun Kashyap
Music: Amit Trivedi, Anurag Saikia etc
Cinematography: Satyajit Pande
Producers: Sanjay Routray, Sarita Patil etc
Production Companies: Feel Good films and Matchbox Shots
No of episodes: 6
Streaming site: Netflix
Patriotic dramas follow a certain template focusing on the themes of bravery and sacrifice. This has been explored umpteen times but when done right this can make for an engaging watch. Operation Safed Sagar is a good illustration of the above point. The director along his writers spend considerable time on building the interpersonal relationships before getting into action. This approach works for the series as the viewers are invested in the characters when the series takes a dramatic turn. OSS in brief highlights the courage of a squadron by the name of Golden Arrows and the high-altitude Airel mission. Of course, we know that India wins in the end, but the strength lies in the intimate details of the operation.
The strong aspect of OSS is its gradual building of drama. A large part of the initial episodes is spent on developing the characters and the interpersonal relationships. The character arcs have been well established. For example, Abhay Verma’s RS Dhaliwal starts off as an overconfident pilot gradually evolving into a dependable officer. He eventually understands the importance of teamwork. Mihir Ahuja as Baldy is going through his own inner conflict, this is connected to a delicate juggling act between professional and personal life. Prajakta Kohli plays Baldy’s love interest Madhavi, she has run away from home to be with him. these individual arcs give the show depth engaging the viewers.
Mention must also be made of the Pakistani characters especially Manu Rishi Chadda and Vinay Pathak. Manu Rishi Chadda plays General Parvez Musharaf, while Vinay Pathak is Nawaz Sharif. Manu Rishi Chadda portrays the ambitious nature of Parvez well making for a formidable antagonist, Vinay Pathak on the other hand is portrayed as a man stuck between peace rhetoric and military reality. The actor aces the moral conundrum making sure that the character doesn’t become a caricature, of course the layered writing helps too.
The family scenes though predictable have a lot of warmth, a special mention must be of the portions between Siddarth and Amrita Bagchi. There are some lovely moments of understated romance and as viewers you wish that Siddarth’s character didn’t die.
OSS also benefits from strong cinematography and poignant music. The scenes of aerial combat are visually stunning as well as giving thrills. The songs especially “Woh Aega” and “Aazma Le” create a strong impact.
OSS has a large cast with an interesting mix of seniors with upcoming talents, and the actors make their presence amply felt irrespective of screen time. Siddarth as squadron leader Ajay Ahuja brings in the required warmth and dignity as a mentor who understands his young pilots. Jimmy Shergill is equally effective bringing in the required authority as well as a reassuring presence.
Among the women Amrita Bagchi makes the biggest impact followed by Dia Mirza. The roles aren’t novel in any way, but the actresses do a fine job in portraying the required inner strength.
