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Ahuja said one of the first challenges during his preparation was accurately capturing the posture and mannerisms of an Indian Air Force officer.

Speaking exclusively to IANS, the actor said, “For us, the first challenge was getting the Air Force posture right — the salute, the walk and everything else.”

He said understanding Bal Reddy’s emotional journey with Madhavi was another demanding aspect of the role.

“After that, understanding the emotional arc of Baldi sir with Madhavi was a little challenging to crack. Apart from that, the character was different because he had a completely different track as well. So, that was challenging. But I really enjoyed playing Baldi sir’s part, and I am glad that I got the opportunity to portray him,” Ahuja said.

Reflecting on his experience of working on the series and portraying a real-life military figure, Ahuja described the opportunity to work closely with the Air Force and shoot at authentic locations as particularly rewarding.

“It has been a very good experience. First of all, if you get a chance to connect with the Air Force, there is nothing more fortunate than that for an actor. Playing an Air Force officer and shooting at real locations was a very good experience,” he said.

Ahuja added that Bal Reddy, whose callsign is “Baldi”, played an integral role in the Kargil War and that the two continue to remain in touch.

“CH Bal Reddy sir, also known as Baldi sir, which is his callsign, was an integral part of the Kargil War. I still speak to him today,” he said.

The actor also shared a personal moment that made the experience particularly special for him.

“He has even saved my number on his phone as ‘Baldi’, which is beautiful for me. It is a great feeling because he is a real hero. He gives us so much respect by watching our performance, and that is a wonderful feeling for all of us,” Ahuja said.

‘Operation Safed Sagar: The Untold Story of the Kargil War’, created by Kushal Srivastava and Abhijeet Singh Parmar and directed by Oni Sen, also stars Jimmy Shergill, Siddharth, Vinay Pathak, Manu Rishi Chadha and Abhay Verma, among others.