A few weeks ago, the trailer launch of Siddharth’s new period war drama Operation Safed Sagar coincided with the Cockroch Janata Party (CJP) protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. As his tribute to Kargil War hero Ajay Ahuja took over the screen, songs from his 2006 seminal coming-of-age patriotic film, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Rang De Basanti, spread to the streets. The actor acknowledges this coincidence, and can’t be more grateful for being part of both watershed moments when it comes to the depiction of patriotism on screen.

Siddharth makes patriotism cool again

“I’ve been thanked 20 years ago for making patriotism cool in Rang De Basanti. On the 20th anniversary of Rang De Basanti, I was lucky enough to be given Ajay Ahuja. There’s something written in my destiny about making patriotism cool,” Siddharth tells SCREEN in an exclusive interview. Of course, the two men he played were at different places in the arc of patriotism, if there’s one. While Ajay was a young war hero, Karan Singhania was the spoilt, privileged son of a corrupt politician, who dares to eliminate his father for causing the death of his friend, Ajay Rathod (R Madhavan), yet another air force officer named Ajay.

“When I look back at Rang De Basanti, I don’t think of Karan Singhania. I only think of Bhagat Singh,” confesses Siddharth. Juxtaposed against the Indian freedom movement, Rang De Basanti projected Siddharth as the 23-year-old revolutionary leader hanged to death by the British. “For me, Rang De Basanti was about Bhagat Singh finding his way into a new vessel in contemporary times. It was still about a selfless martyr who died at a young age for his country,” adds the actor. He feels fortunate that his brand of soft patriotism and unassuming martyrdom fetches him roles like these, even if it’s once every two decades.

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Operation Safed Sagar is the story of the Indian Air Force’s role in the Kargil War.

“I haven’t done anything to deserve this honour. It’s just a luck of the draw that at two different time periods, two amazing sets of makers found a boy from Chennai to give the honour of the lifetime,” says Siddharth, beaming. He also expresses his gratitude to Netflix India for letting an actor like him headline one of its most expensive shows yet, just like how his wife Aditi Rao Hydari was a apart of another of its flagship shows, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2024 period drama Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. Interestingly, both also had their share of viral moments on the streaming platform, given Aditi’s inimitable “Gaja Gamini walk” and Siddharth’s memorable tribute to Ajay Ahuja’s favourite actor, Shah Rukh Khan.

“I got to do ‘Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhein’ in Operation Safed Sagar. So, there’s a nice music-and-dance hat-off for me as well,” says Siddharth, referring to Ajay Ahuja’s favourite song, featuring Shah Rukh, from Abbas-Mustan’s 1993 romantic thriller Baazigar. “I’m a Netflix baby, and so is Addu in many ways. We’re very grateful that in 2026, streaming and Netflix exist. Me headlining one of Netflix India’s most expensive projects wouldn’t have been possible without the streaming age. It’s a time for merit and good acting. I’m really a Netflix child because I have two more Netflix projects coming out in the next three months,” he points out. Siddharth will also be seen in Vishal Bhardwaj’s segment of romantic anthology Lust Stories 3.

Siddharth as Ajay Ahuja in Operation Safed Sagar.

Patriotism for the Gen-Z

Since Operation Safed Sagar is to streaming what Rang De Basanti was to cinema, Siddharth is confident that the future Air Force chief is already watching the show. “If Rang De Basanti was meant to awaken a whole generation, Operation Safed Sagar is going to help a generation take to the skies. I’m sure there’s a great new sky for these young people to join the air force after this show,” he says, smiling. He’s also glad that instead of glorifying and deifying the war heroes, the creators chose to explore the men behind the uniform, which would make patriotism more relatable for the Gen-Z.

“That’s where I doff my hat to the creators because we’ve fought to show the air force as it is. We’ve strived to show the air force in a way that’d be more attractive to the current batch. We’ve literally panned the camera towards the air force, and shown how young men in uniform behave and talk, how they are under fire and in peacetime, and how they dream and celebrate. If you can see yourself in that, you can accurately tell yourself, ‘Yes, I was made to go into the air force,'” adds Siddharth.

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The actor admits that Operation Safed Sagar stands valiantly against the wave of shrill jingoism of the times, particularly on the big screen. “It’s very important that the foundation, intention, and fabric of defence forces are built on humanity, love, and getting to know people better. I really can’t stress enough to have the right tonality, truth, and depiction of history for our younger people,” he says. Siddharth can’t deny that the audience has always been as impressionable as discerning, something he concluded from observing both the pay-offs and perils of Rang De Basanti 20 years ago.

“I must apologize, because my mom insisted I do it, for something I did in Rang De Basanti. I’ve been responsible for making more young people take to smoking through one film than most others. I’m very proud to say I’ve stemmed that rot and thrown it in the other direction,” confesses Siddharth. To correct that evil, his sensitive and responsible portrayal of a war hero in Operation Safed Sagar assumes even greater significance. If more youngsters set out to embark on the path that he did, it’ll serve as atonement of his own sins from two decades ago. “There’ll be no greater honour,” he says, fighting his tears.