Updated on: 23 August, 2024 12:06 PM IST |Amruta Karulkar
India will celebrate the first National Space Day on August 23, 2024. This day will be celebrated to commemorate the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Vikram Lander mission. On this day last year, Vikram Lander of Chandrayaan 3 successfully landed on the moon’s unexplored southern polar region. Likewise, this day also celebrates Indias achievements and efforts towards space exploration and honours the contributions of scientists, engineers, and astronauts. Its an opportunity to inspire the next generation of space enthusiasts and to recognise the importance of space exploration in advancing human knowledge and technology. On this occasion, let’s revisit five Indian films about space exploration and ISRO.
1. Mission Mangal (2019)
This Bollywood film is a fictionalised account of the Indian Space Research Organisation's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM). It follows the inspiring journey of a team of scientists who overcame challenges and budget constraints to successfully launch India's first interplanetary spacecraft. Mission Mangal stars Akshay Kumar, Taapsee Pannu, Vidya Balan, and Sonakshi Sinha in pivotal roles.
2. Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (2022)
This biographical drama film is based on the life of Nambi Narayanan, a former ISRO scientist who was falsely accused of espionage. The film portrays his struggles, resilience, and eventual exoneration. The film stars R. Madhavan, who is also the director and producer.
3. Antariksham 9000 KMPH (2018)
A Telugu-language science fiction film, Antariksham 9000 KMPH, tells the story of a space mission that goes awry, leading to a race against time to save the crew and the planet. The film is directed by Sankalp Reddy and stars Varun Tej and Aditi Rao Hydari in lead roles.
4. Cargo (2020)
This Hindi-language sci-fi film stars Vikrant Massey and Shweta Tripathi. Set on the spaceship Pushpak 634A, the story follows Prahastha, a scientist working for the Post-Death Transition Services. He aids a female astronaut, played by Shweta, in recycling deceased individuals for rebirth.
