‘Rocket Boys' makes Vikram Sarabhai’s family emotional

Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani’s web series ‘Rocket Boys’ released on Sony Liv last week received a lot of positive reviews. The series stars Jim Sarbh as Homi Jehangir Bhabha and Ishwak Singh as Vikram Sarabhai. Speaking in an interview, Advani said, “When we decided to make the show, I knew that we were trying something special. I’m just glad that the audience has embraced it and understood what we have tried to do. It’s a special story with special people.”
Praising Sarbh’s acting, Advani said, “He’s a phenomenal actor. When we called him, the first thing he said was, ‘I’m so glad you did not call me for a negative role’. It took us two years to make this show because we were shooting for two seasons simultaneously. So, we needed somebody who was not gonna turn and say, ‘I’m done’. We provided Ishwak and Jim with all this material to consume - research, diary, letters, all the films - and then we told them to forget because back then, Mr Bhabha or Mr Sarabhai didn’t know they would become so fundamental in India’s history of science.”
When asked how Sarabhai and Bhabha’s families reacted to the show, Advani said, “Homi Bhabha has no family. His brother was the only relative who passed away recently. He gave his entire estate to the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai.”
As for Sarabhai’s family, “We met Mallika Sarabhai, Kartikeya Sarabhai and Revanta Sarabhai. They were part of our research team. They were part of the making throughout. Mallika choreographed a dance sequence performed by her mother Mrinalini Sarabhai, which was an emotional moment for her. They saw the episodes a week ago. They were very emotional and moved.”