Sony LIV's popular show 'Rocket Boys' is back with its second season and the audience will see the journey of how India became a nuclear nation. The show is a biographical drama which revolves around the lives of Homi J. Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai. The first season of Rocket Boys was a huge success and established Bhabha and Sarabhai's friendship, differences and ambitions. Meanwhile, the second season will focus on how India became a nuclear nation.
The Story:
Amid the political tensions and global threats of war, India tries to become a nuclear nation. However, due to the difference in opinions, Dr Vikram Sarabhai and Dr Homi Bhabha go their separate ways.
The Review:
What works for the series:
One of the biggest plus points of Rocket Boys is that it does not over-dramatise scenes and keeps the scenes as realistic as possible. In biopics, we often see that the characters are the epitome of good moral values with no flaws. But it is great to see that Rocket Boys have shown India's greatest minds as flawed human beings and you feel more connected to these flawed characters.
All the characters have their own storyline and add more depth to the show. The women in Rocket Boys are portrayed beautifully and are shown as so much more than just love interests. Rocket Boys beautifully shows how much the women in the lives of Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai have sacrificed and have been their pillars of support despite differences.
You will also feel a sense of pride while watching the journey of India as it slowly becomes a nuclear nation and there is no forced patriotism in it.
What does not work:
In both seasons of Rocket Boys, the lighting in many scenes is very dull which makes it difficult to enjoy the scenes properly. Moreover, Rocket Boys Season 2 will have multiple time jumps which make it difficult to track the different timelines.
Acting:
Every actor has put forth an amazing performance in the show and has performed the scenes with brilliance. Jim Sarbh is as brilliant as the previous seasons and portrays the anger and frustrations and also the charm of Homi Bhabha with so much ease. Meanwhile, Ishwak Singh is also spectacular as Vikram Sarabhai and provides calmness in the show in contrast to Bhabha's personality.
Meanwhile, Regina Cassandra, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Rajit Kaput and Saba Azad were great in the respective scenes and added much more depth to the storyline. Dibyendu Bhattacharya as Raza Mehdi stole the show in his scenes. Arjun Radhakrishnan as Dr APJ Abdul Kalam also puts forth a convincing performance in the show and was a much more important part of the series in the second season.
Final Thoughts:
Just like its previous season, Rocket Boys is both entertaining and educational. Amid the trend of violent-themed shows, Rocket Boys is a breath of fresh air. It evokes the feeling of patriotism without forcing it upon the audience and beautifully portrays the ambitions, hopes and dreams of some of the greatest people in independent India.
Directed by: Abhay Pannu
Star cast: Jim Sarbh, Ishwak Singh, Regina Cassandra, Saba Azad, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Namit Das, K.C. Shankar, Arjun Radhakrishnan
Streaming on: Sony LIV