Stories about Indian scientists though make for chest-thumping moments on social media, there haven't been any mainstream filmmakers interested to tell their stories. So it is indeed commendable that Siddharth Roy Kapur, Nikhil Advani, and Abhay Pannu came together to bring to the OTT platform the lives of Dr. Homi J Bhabha, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, and Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam in the series Rocket Boys.
The eight-episode first season begins with us being introduced to Bhabha and Sarabhai and the story takes us through their scientific journey, their personal and professional struggles as well as the relationship the two genius minds shared. Sprawling over nearly two decades, the series chronicles India's foray into atomic energy and space. Entwined in all this is a thrilling political drama as well, ending the season on a cliffhanger.
The USP of Rocket Boys is its casting. Jim Sarbh as Bhabha and Ishwak Singh as Sarabhai share an amazing on-screen camaraderie. The two actors have magnificently captured how the relationship transforms from teacher and student to friends. They are measured in their emotions, and at the same pull us into their dreams, passions, and conflicts of their world. While both perform their parts perfectly, Rocket Boys belongs to Sarbh who makes Homi J Bhabha come alive.
And then there is Arjun Radhakrishnan as the young Kalam, who I am excited to see more of in season two of the series (there better be one, given the way the first season wraps!!). What could become a single-track narration, has several layers thanks to the presence of Regina Cassandra as Mrinalini Sarabhai, Saba Azad as Parvana Irani, and Dibyendu Bhattacharya as Mehdi Raza. Rajit Kapur as Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru also does a fine job.
What also makes Rocket Boys a treat to watch is its production design by Meghna Gandhi, art direction by Pradeep Nigam, and cinematography by Harshvir Oberai. The period has been captured to perfection and indeed takes us back to that time. Kudos to Pannu and his entire team for making Rocket Boys more than just a scientists' story but a celebration of humanity.
Rocket Boys, produced under the Roy Kapur Films and Emmay Entertainment banners is streaming now on SonyLiv.