Rocket Boys (web series)

Rocket Boys is a story of two extraordinary men Dr. Homi J. Bhabha and Dr. Vikram Sarabhai. The story is set around the three crucial decades (1940-60s) in the history of India and how the nation is moving towards being a strong, brave, and independent nation. It is the story of Independent India's formative years in the field of science.

With dreams in their eyes and a vision in their minds, Dr. Homi J. Bhabha engineered India's Nuclear Programme and Dr. Vikram Sarabhai established the Indian Space Programme and many other institutes. Their journey also involves Mrinalini Sarabhai, a strong pillar in Dr. Sarabhai's life, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, who pioneered modern Indian aerospace and nuclear technology, Parvana Irani a close companion of Dr. Bhabha, Raza Mehdi (not a real person but a fictional character scripted as antagonist for dramatization), a distinguished scientist, and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who supported them at every step.

The season builds upon their friendship, sacrifice, and great determination and how everything led to India's first rocket launch; its emblematic of the journey of India as the country emerges into a new, post-war world.

The second season of Rocket Boys takes place during the early years of independent India when the nation was experiencing political unrest, internal power shifts, and international organizations keeping a close watch on its aspirations. The series continues the account of the extraordinary lives and times of Dr. Homi J. Bhabha, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, and Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam as they navigate obstacles in their quest to make India a nuclear power.

The show received positive reviews from critics and audience, with praise for the performances, direction, writing and other technical aspects.

The Times of India gave a rating of 3.5 and stated that Jim Sarbh and Ishwak Singh's show is a glowing tribute to India's scientific luminaries. Further, they also said that the show is captivating from the start.[12] Anuj Kumar of The Hindu mentioned that the lead actors Jim Sarbh and Ishwak Singh head a fantastic ensemble cast that gloriously brings to life the achievements of the scientific community in launching India's atomic and space programs.[13] Shefali Deshpande of The Quint gave 4.5/5 stars and said that Rocket Boys is the kind of story that the Oscars and the people at BAFTA look for. In addition to this they also stated that the top-notch acting, storytelling, direction, and music, with actual footage from back in the day and audio to go along with it, this show is here to win slow, steady, and big.[14] Moneycontrol said in their article that Roy Kapur Films, Emmay Entertainment, and SonyLIV together put up a brilliant show that is unmissable.[15] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express mentioned Rocket Boys is an absorbing state-of-the-nation saga and both Jim Sarbh and Ishwak Singh are excellent.[16] Hindustan Times expressed Rocket Boys as one of the web series with the most well-crafted, earnestly performed, and tightly-written scenes. Moreover, it also said that the show is a shining star on the streamer's roster.[17] The Scroll.in wrote that Rocket Boys is fuelled by vaulting ambition on the screen and beyond, and it's a heady mix of research and creative liberty, pop quiz-level trivia, and a flair for drama.[18] NDTV Gadgets 360 said that Abhay Pannu's Rocket Boys delivers in spades with the story of Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai and mentioned India comes of age in SonyLIV's terrific new series.[19] NDTV gave a 3.5 rating to Rocket Boys and further said that The series gets the science of blending fact and fiction absolutely right and delivers a viewing experience that is a marked remove from generic shows.[20] ThePrint featured Rocket Boys as a unique blend of science and the everyday, personal and political, fact and fiction, that makes science less elite, more accessible, more awe-inspiring while being grounded.[21] Priya Hazra of ScoopWhoop said praised the show by saying that it is an on-point casting & brilliant storytelling that makes 'Rocket Boys' a biopic Bollywood could learn from. It further added that witnessing the historic event unfold, even on the screen, was an overwhelming and proud moment, and given the earnestness with which it was played out made it even better.[22] Pinkvilla gave 4/5 stars and stated that Jim Sarbh and Ishwak Singh fabulously bolster India's empirical history. It also mentioned that Rocket Boys treads a measured pace and gradually develops a story and its characters to make the bigger picture more interesting and entertaining. While the writing, casting, and acting are on point, the show also scores big on its background music and production music.[23] Outlook gave a rating of 4 and said that Jim Sarbh, Ishwak Singh shines in this humanized tale of India's greatest scientists and makes it a wonderful biopic drama that never stops inspiring.[24] Arré's thoughts on Rocket Boys were that the series did a good job of visualizing and explaining technical details to a layperson in a cinematic way.[25] In addition to this, it also said that "Rocket Boys" is an important watch to reflect on the dreams of India's OG scientific pioneers and hopefully inspire young minds. Rediff gave a rating of 4 and stated that Rocket Boys is a soaring tribute to the two pillars of India's science world.[26] Shekhar Gupta of The Print criticized in his article titled 'Rocket Boys’ crime on history: Inventing Muslim villain, stealing Meghnad Saha's identity' saying "That he [Meghnad Saha] was from a lower caste, and has mostly been forgotten in our popular memory since (on his centenary in 1993, the Narasimha Rao government issued a postage stamp), probably made it more convenient to bury his character in what pretends to be a “true” history and give him a mostly evil, dark, Muslim avatar. In our book, this is a crime on not just history but on all the ideals so dear to people like Saha, Bhabha and Sarabhai. Remember, those incredible scientists were freedom fighters too."[27]

Amrita Shah, author of Vikram Sarabhai – A Life criticised the series for distorting history with fictionalized events, puerile depiction of India's technological programmes in space and nuclear energy and egregious misrepresentation of Sarabhai's character that diminishes his significance and lacks depth without any nuance.[28] Journalist Gita Aravamudan (wife of Ramabhadran Aravamudan and co-author of ISRO: A Personal History) found the series reducing iconic Indian scientists into Bollywood stereotypes, falsifying major events and dates and concocting a fake version of A. P. J. Abdul Kalam that suits the script. She adds that real story of Indian nuclear and space programs is far more richer than fictionalized screen version which ignores scientific and technical aspects of their journey.[29]

The second season of Rocket Boys received positive reviews from critics as well as the audience.

Archika Khurana of The Times of India[30] called the series a ‘Factual and thrilling drama about Indian scientists.’ Sanyukta Thakare from Mashable said that the series ‘Remains true to its heroes.’[31] India Today’s Roktim Rajpal called the second season an ‘engaging narrative.’[32] Dainik Jagran stated the second season is a ‘beautiful portrayal of ambitions.’[33] The Quint praised the lead actors, saying, ‘Jim and Ishwak confidently carry Homi and Vikram on their shoulders, making us root for their friendship even as they don't see eye to eye on many things.’[34]

Firstpost mentioned that the new season is denser and more conflicted this time.’[35] The Print called it a ‘heady mix of fact and fiction.’[36] The New Indian Express noted that the series is ‘A love letter to India and its men of science.’[37]

India Forums said, ‘With impeccable performances, fine writing, and crackling music, this season also cannot be missed out on.’[38] Peeping Moon said, ‘Rocket Boys is hailed as one of the best shows to come out of India and it retains the title with sheer honesty.’[39] Movie Talkies stated, ‘Every episode ends on an exciting note, which leaves you curious to know what happens next.’[40]

Koimoi’s Shubham Kulkarni stated that the series is ‘more about politics and personal battles than just accolades where the horizon broadens to serve yet another spectacle.’[41] Pooja Darade from Leisure Byte said that the second season is ‘emotional and thrilling at the same time.’[42]

Rocket Boys gauged a soft spot in the audiences' hearts with its compelling storytelling, impeccable performances by the entire cast and flawless writing. While the internet was flooded with audiences appreciating Rocket Boys, the series was also among the Top 5 most-liked Hindi shows on the Ormax Power Rating (OPR) 2022. In the same year, Rocket Boys made it to the Top 5 on IMDb’s Most Popular Web Series list. Praises from renowned Indian actors like Hrithik Roshan,[43] and Arjun Kapoor added to the hype around the show. Notably, Amul India used its mascot to praise the show in its own quirky way. In 2022, the show garnered over 30 award wins in prominent categories like Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Series, among various others.

Following the release of Rocket Boys 2 on 16th March 2023, the show received an 8.9 rating on IMDb.[44] The show has gained immense love and appreciation for its inspirational narrative and exceptional performances that have struck a chord with audiences and critics alike. The premiere event of season 2, episode 1, caught praises from Bollywood celebrities like Hrithik Roshan, Srishti Shrivastava, and director Sudhir Mishra.[45]