Mumbai: Abhay Verma has his eyes on the sky and his feet firmly on the ground. His latest release, Operation Safed Sagar, began streaming on Netflix this week, telling the high-altitude, largely untold story of the India-Pakistan Kargil War. And in a series built to honour the Indian Air Force, it’s Verma’s performance that critics and audiences alike keep circling back to.
Playing Flying Officer RS Dhaliwal, Verma delivers what many are calling one of the most riveting and mature turns of his career so far — a performance that finally seems to justify the “promising” tag that has followed him since he first started making noise in the industry. His scenes with the young Golden Arrows Squadron, in particular, have struck a chord, balancing the swagger of a fighter pilot with something quieter and more vulnerable underneath.
The reaction online has been near-unanimous. Viewers have praised the sincerity and restraint he brings to the role, with one review noting that he brings “sincerity, restraint and emotional depth to the role, making it a lasting impact.” Another viewer called his performance “confident, layered and emotionally effective,” adding that he “leaves a strong mark in the series.”
For many, Verma’s arc has emerged as a genuine standout among the ensemble of fighter pilots. One fan described his performance as one of the “biggest highlights” of the show, praising the “intensity and vulnerability” he brings with what they called remarkable ease. Another viewer went further, drawing comparisons to a certain iconic aviator from Hollywood, writing that Verma’s Dhali was “channeling Maverick from Top Gun all the way through.”
It isn’t the first time Verma has been commended for range. Several reviewers pointed out that this performance builds on a pattern of interesting choices he has been making over the past few years. “After consistently making interesting choices, Abhay Verma delivers yet another memorable performance in Operation Safed Sagar,” one critic wrote. “His growth as an actor is evident with every project.” Another echoed the sentiment, calling it “another solid performance from the young actor” in what they described as a “diverse avatar.”
Perhaps the most emotional response came from a fan letter addressed directly to Verma, thanking him for the humility with which he carried the legacy of a national hero. “Every single emotion you poured into Flying Officer R.S. Dhaliwal felt completely raw and real,” the fan wrote. “It’s rare to see a young actor carry the weight of a national hero’s legacy with such immense humility. You truly brought out the quiet strength of the IAF. Dhali is etched in our hearts forever because you lived every frame of it. Jai Hind.”
Even those inclined toward more understated praise found themselves drawn in. One review noted that Verma “quietly steals several moments” in the series with a performance that is “honest, understated and incredibly effective” — a description that seems to capture what so many viewers have responded to: not a performance that announces itself, but one that earns its impact scene by scene.
The six-episode limited series places Verma front and center in its tribute to the Indian Air Force, backed by a formidable ensemble that includes Siddharth, Jimmy Shergill, Dia Mirza, and several other prominent performers. Directed by Oni Sen and created by Abhijeet Singh Parmar and Kushal Srivastava, Operation Safed Sagar is produced by Sanjay Routray and Sarita Patil of Matchbox Shots LLP, alongside Mehboob Pal Singh Brar of Feel Good Films. The series is now streaming exclusively on Netflix.
