Manu Rishi Chadha credits Nawazuddin Siddiqui for helping him crack Musharraf’s character in ‘Operation Safed Sagar’: ‘I followed that approach’

Manu Rishi Chadha is winning praise for his portrayal of former Pakistan President and Army Chief Pervez Musharraf in ‘Operation Safed Sagar’. Playing the military strategist behind the Kargil War, the actor has now opened up about his preparation process, revealing that YouTube research and a chance conversation with Nawazuddin Siddiqui shaped his approach to the role.

How Manu Rishi Chadha studied Musharraf

Speaking to news agency PTI, Manu Rishi Chadha explained how he built his understanding of the real-life figure. He said, “Musharraf was a real person, but what mattered first was what had been written about him and how he would behave. I started looking for ways to understand him. You can learn a lot from YouTube – his mannerisms, the way he spoke and so on. For me, adopting the way he spoke would have been easy. And being comfortable is very important when you are playing a character.“

Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s advice

Manu Rishi also credited actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui for guiding his approach, recalling their conversation, “When I went on YouTube, I found a lot of things interesting. But then I happened to meet Nawazuddin Siddiqui. I was actually there to narrate a film to him, and I asked him how he had approached playing (writer Saadat Hasan) Manto. He told me, ‘I didn’t have a visual reference. I had read about him, and I put my faith in Nandita (Das, director). I would use my acting process to see whether what she was telling me connected with my human mind and heart’. I followed that approach.”

More about ‘Operation Safed Sagar’

Inspired by the Indian Air Force‘s role during the 1999 Kargil War, ‘Operation Safed Sagar’ follows the Golden Arrows Squadron as young fighter pilots undertake high-altitude combat missions while dealing with the personal and emotional toll of war. The ensemble cast includes Jimmy Shergill, Siddharth, Abhay Verma, Adil Hussain, Mihir Ahuja, Taaruk Raina, Arnav Bhasin, Amrita Bagchi, Dia Mirza and Prajakta Koli, alongside Chadha.The show premiered on Netflix on August 7, 2026.