Abhay Verma reveals what does true artistic liberation mean to him

Mumbai, Aug 26 (IANS) Actor Abhay Verma, who has essayed the role of Wing Commander Rajpal Singh Dhaliwal in the streaming series ‘Operation Safed Sagar’, has shared his perspective on liberation in artistic process.

The actor spoke with IANS following the release of the show, and said that for him liberation doesn’t only involve the ability to express freely.

He told IANS, “For me, liberation doesn’t mean living freely in terms of artiste. Liberation means when you understand the responsibility that you hold, and to present it the way as it should be. That is liberation for me, that is freedom for me. And, that is when I believe as an artiste, I win”.

The actor went on to express his gratitude to the Indian Airforce for giving the makers the liberty to tell the story in the best possible way.

He shared, “Apart from that we were really thankful that the air force was also producers on the show, and their support throughout the making of the show has been immense. I don’t think without them the show would have been made the way it is. We were given access to the most confidential places like you said, also a civilian can’t go. So it was really a liberating process to get to know about our country’s strength, and what it can do if an enemy tries to enter. We have seen the Kargil war and all the following skirmishes that we have won”.

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.

“But honestly, at last I would really like to say my thoughts that I don’t really like wars. I wish they didn’t exist. I wish the situation of war doesn’t prevail now anywhere in the world because the lives of innocents are too precious to be just given like that”, 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.

The series is available to stream on Netflix.

–IANS

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