Mumbai, Aug 24 (IANS) Actor Abhay Verma, who has essayed the role of Wing Commander Rajpal Singh Dhaliwal in the streaming series ‘Operation Safed Sagar’, has said that soldiers are the God’s children. The actor says that only God chooses the people whom he wants to wear the uniform of the forces, and the civilians are undeserving of the honour of wearing a uniform.
The actor spoke with IANS following the release of the show, and spoke about the legend of Wing Commander Rajpal Singh Dhaliwal, whose efforts were instrumental in India’s comprehensive victory in the Kargil War.
He told IANS, “Honestly, Dhaliwal sir’s courage spoke for itself. When we went inside the Air Force Station And I would mention that I’m playing Dhaliwal sir, everyone around in the Air Force Station or whoever you would meet even after 16 years of his passing, sadly, they were really overjoyed of listening about him, and talking about him. So, that really tells something that generations are enchanted by his work. He has been such an inspiration whose courage speaks volumes. His stories are still heard, and are taught to younger generations”.
The series is based on the eponymous combined arms operation by the Indian Air Force, supporting elements of the Indian Army during the 1999 Kargil war that was aimed at flushing out regular and irregular troops of the Pakistani Army from vacated Indian Positions in the Kargil sector along the Line of Control. It was the first large-scale use of airpower in the Jammu and Kashmir region since the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. It was the first large-scale use of airpower in the Jammu and Kashmir region since the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
The actor also spoke about his ritual before starting the work each day on the sets of the show, as he shared, “So, that was really inspiring for me. Before starting the day, I would just close my eyes, and I would remember him for 2 minutes. I would really try to just see what kind of a human he would be, to be able to have that kind of courage”.
“As civilians, we are undeserving of the uniform that our forces wear. I think God chooses the people who would don the uniform. Every soldier in uniform is a God’s child. So, I would really just listen to all these stories, take it in as much as I can, imbibe all the learnings that I have had through him, and the stories that people have to say about him”, he added.
Operation Safed Sagar was launched on May 26, it 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 aircraft including 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, weakening Pakistani defences and enabling Indian Army troops to recapture strategic heights, significantly contributing to India’s victory.
–IANS
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