Rocket Boys Review: Jim Sarbh, Ishwak Singh’s SonyLiv series on Homi Bhabha, Vikram Sarabhai spaces out

Rocket Boys chronicles the lives of pioneering nuclear scientists Homi J Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai. Starring Jim Sarbh, Ishwak Singh, Regina Cassandra and Saba Azad, the series starts streaming on SonyLiv from February 4.

Rocket Boys takes on the mammoth task of telling the story of Homi Bhabha - Father of the Indian Nuclear Programme, and Vikram Sarabhai - Father of the Indian Space Programme. Both men went to the University of Cambridge, England, and returned to their homeland to start a scientific revolution. Driven by passion, they achieved great things. Does Rocket Boys manage to capture that greatness? Let’s break it down for you.

It’s 1962 and we see a bunch of scientists arguing over a plan of action at the Department of Atomic Energy, Bombay (now Mumbai), as India is in a state of war with China. It is in this room where we meet nuclear physicist Homi Bhabha, played by Jim Sarbh, and space researcher Vikram Sarabhai, essayed by Ishwak Singh. While Bhabha argues in favour of developing India’s first atom bomb for national security, Sarabhai insists on a diplomatic approach. This tension-filled sequence gives the series an impressive beginning.

It’s true that Bhabha and Sarabhai had contradictory ideas about building India’s scientific base. But the two had a common mission - our country’s progress. This is what brought them together as mentor and mentee. Sarabhai, who was called the ‘lunatic Brown kid’ in college, looked up to Bhabha as the ‘Renaissance man’ behind the Cosmic Ray Research Unit at Bangalore’s Indian Institute of Science. The two started working together, fought the system and British bureaucracy to attain their goals.

Watch the trailer here:

Bhabha and Sarabhai’s bromance seems promising in Rocket Boys and lends the series some feel-good moments. Bhabha’s cynical thoughts and Sarabhai’s Gandhian ideals converge in their unique friendship. The two also find romance. Bhabha falls for the free-spirited Parvana Irani, played by Saba Azad, while Sarabhai is besotted with the talented Indian classical dancer, Mrinalini, essayed by Regina Cassandra. Their love and family lives make up a major chunk of the show. We understand that viewers ought to know about the personal lives of these geniuses, but so much of it seemed misplaced in a series that aims to show Bhabha and Sarabhai’s achievements in the field of science. In that regard, you’ll find the visuals of the inventions and India’s first rocket launch thrilling.

Another factor that can prove to be a downer is the long-drawn politics. The scientific community fought internal and external battles - discord between ambitious visionaries and a sceptical government, respectively. How they took risks, established institutes and gathered resources for research are things we shouldn’t forget. But, to hold the attention of the audience, a tighter script was required. Scenes on communal issues, rivalries and society’s resistance to modern technology shouldn’t have been this laborious. Certain scenes were dispensable. However, what works is the original footage featuring leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and others. The clips of real scientific experiments from those times recreate feelings of newfound opportunities in a changing India.

A character that creates an impact besides Bhabha and Sarabhai in the series is India’s ‘Missile Man’ and former President APJ Abdul Kalam. At a young age, he decides “Plane nahi, rocket udaunga (Not an aeroplane, I’ll fly a rocket).” Played by Arjun Radhakrishnan, Kalam brings endearing warmth and unflinching determination to the story. Dibyendu Bhattacharya stars as another man of science who seeks power, while Namit Das plays a shrewd journalist.