After Operation Safed Sagar’s global success, Netflix announces MiG-21 documentary The Last Salute

Netflix series Operation Safed Sagar is still making headlines. Based on an untold tale of the IAF's performance during the Kargil War in 1999, the show has not only impressed viewers but also received accolades from the armed forces. The web series is at the No. 2 position on Netflix Global Top 10 Non-English TV Shows list for the second successive week. It has also reached the top 10 in 40 countries and topped the charts in 10 of them. As the MiG-21 becomes a central part of Operation Safed Sagar, Netflix is now continuing the saga with the upcoming documentary, The Last Salute.

At the heart of the series’ stunning aerial stunts lies the much-famed MiG-21, the aircraft used by the squadron of ‘Golden Arrows’ during the Kargil War. Another significant aspect of the series is that it marks the last time the MiG-21 was seen in action on film before its retirement from service with the Indian Air Force.

With MiG-21 being an important component of Operation Safed Sagar, Netflix has taken it forward through The Last Salute. This documentary, created by the same production team responsible for the series, focuses on the aircraft’s 62-year-old relationship with the Indian Air Force and the numerous pilots who flew them.

The Last Salute is a documentary directed by Kushal Srivastava and produced by Matchbox Shots. This documentary will air on Netflix on August 26. It will feature the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, and the pilots who have flown the MiG-21 over the years. The documentary delves into their stories around this iconic fighter plane.

Speaking about the response to Operation Safed Sagar and the upcoming documentary, Tanya Bami, Series Head, India, Netflix said, “We are so excited and humbled by the love and adulation that the show is getting from across the country, the world and the armed forces. You know a story has connected with the audience when the conversations and recommendations are palpable."

She further said, “Ever since its launch, Operation Safed Sagar has taken over the internet with rave reviews about the storytelling, characters, the authentic world of the Indian Air Force and the depth of research from critics and audiences alike. When a project is made with genuine passion, it resonates extraordinarily with audiences.”

She added, “We’ve seen this across several of our titles this year, but Operation Safed Sagar stands out as the clearest example — its reception has been nothing short of a resounding success, and we are extremely thankful to the audience for making this story their symbol of national pride this Independence Day. The show is making us all extremely proud, as it's hit the #2 spot on the Global Non-English list today! It’s incredibly rewarding to see a well-told, distinctly Indian story resonate so powerfully with audiences across the globe.”

Tanya Bami went on to say, "And we are taking our collaboration with the IAF further through another story from this world. The MiG-21 became such an integral part of the stories we heard from pilots that we knew its legacy deserved to be explored in its own right.