Rocketry to Mission Mangal: Ahead of Chandrayaan 3’s landing on the moon, watch 5 captivating space dramas from Indian cinema

Rocketry: The Nambi Effect

Written and directed by R Madhavan, Rocketry chronicles the life of popular Indian aerospace scientist Nambi Narayanan. He played a major role in development of Vikas engine which is a common technical feature used in rockets like PSLV, GSLV and GSLV Mark 3. His life turns upside down after he was accused of espionage charges. Nambi always prioritized science and space above everything, and this trait was reflected by Madhavan as he portrayed the character.

Mission Mangal

Mangalyaan or Mars Orbiter Mission was a historic achievement for Indians. It marked the milestone of India being the first country to reach the orbit of Mars in its first attempt. Directed by Jagan Shakti, the movie features an impressive star-cast of Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Taapsee Pannu, Sonakshi Sinha, Kirti Kulhari and Sharman Joshi. The movie focuses on the life of Indian scientists and researchers who have were a part of the India prestigious space mission, The Mars Orbiter Mission.

Koi…Mil Gaya

Directed by Rakesh Roshan, the film starring Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta, Rekha, and Johnny Lever in pivotal roles. Recently, it clocked 20 years and was re-released in some theatres. Hrithik Roshan’s camaraderie with Alien Jadoo is still remembered by the audience. The movie tells the story of a boy with special needs who finds his late father’s old equipment and decides to play with it. The equipment turns out to be a device intended to communicate with aliens living on other planets. Later, things take an unexpected turn as the other world has responded and decided to pay a visit to their friend.

Chand Par Chadayee

Produced and Directed by T. P. Sundaram, the movie released in Indian Cinema in the year 1967. The movie is quite similar to one of the earliest movies ever made in the history, Georges Melies’ ‘A Trip to the Moon’. The movie revolves around a group of astronauts who set off towards the moon. Upon landing, they face off against many warriors and monsters from an alien planet.

Kalai Arasi

Directed by A. Kasilingam. Kalai Arasi is a Tamil science-fiction movie to feature the concept of Aliens visiting earth. It released in 1963 and starred MG Ramachandran and P. Bhanumathi Ramakrishna. Even though the film was a success, it did not inspire many others to explore the sci-fi and space drama genres.