On August 23, India made history when Chandrayaan-3 landed successfully on the Moon’s surface. This was, undoubtedly, a significant achievement for India’s space program. Many Bollywood celebrities were overjoyed after seeing Vikram (lander) make a soft landing on the moon. From Shah Rukh Khan to Deepika Padukone, all the actors took to their social media platforms to congratulate the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO).
Now, to celebrate the historic moment in a cinephile way, here are some of the brilliant films made on space and astronomy that you could watch.
Chand Par Chadayee
Chand Par Chadayee, released in 1967, was one of the first Bollywood films to depict space exploration and lunar mission. The film was directed by T. R. Sundaram starred Dara Singh, S. Nazir, Ratna Bhushan, Bhagwan Dada, Anwar Hussain, Padma Khanna, among others.
Koi Mil Gaya
Directed by Rakesh Roshan, Koi Mil Gaya was released in 2003. The film was science fiction and dealt with how an alien spaceship left one of the aliens on earth, and later on how Rohit (Hrithik Roshan) manages to send Jadoo (alien) back in space. Along with Hrithik Roshan, the film also starred Preity Zinta, Rekha, Prem Chopra, Johnny Lever, Rajat Bedi, Mukesh Rishi, among others.
Mission Mangal
Mission Mangal, released in 2019, was based on the true event called Mangalyaan. This was India’s first interplanetary mission launched in 2013 and it was also the first time any country reached Martian orbit on the first try. So, the film is based on a group of ISRO scientists who are in a constant war with personal and professional lives but still work tirelessly to reach Mars. Directed by Jagan Shakti, the film starred Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, Sharman Joshi, Sanjay Kapoor, Nithya Menen, among others.
Mission Over Mars
Created by Ekta Kapoor, Mission Over Mars is a 2019 web-series based on four female scientists from ISRO because of whom Mars Orbiter Mission became possible. The web-series stars Sakshi Tanwar, Mona Singh, Nidhi Singh, Palomi Ghosh, Mohan Joshi, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mihir Ahuja, among others.
Rocketry: The Nambi Effect
Rocketry: The Nambi Effect is a 2022 biographical drama film based on the life of Nambi Narayanan who worked at ISRO and contributed significantly to the Indian space program. The film is directed, written, and produced by R Madhavan. Moreover, the actor also plays the lead role of Nambi in the film. Apart from R Madhavan, the film also starred Simran, Ravi Raghavendra, Rajit Kapur, Meesha Ghoshal, among others.
Rocket Boys
Directed by Nikkhil Advani, Rocket Boys is a web-series based on the lives of Homi J. Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai, two of India’s great personalities who worked in the field of astronomy and nuclear science. So far, two seasons have been released. The web-series features Jim Sarbh, Ishwak Singh, Regina Cassandra, Saba Azad, Rajit Kapur, T.M. Karthik, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, among others.
So which of these shows or films would you be watching to commemorate India’s historic milestone? Do let us know in the comments section below.
