Bakhtiar Dadabhoy’s critique of Rocket Boys ("A missed opportunity,” Parsiana, June 7-20, 2022) is a timely warning for gullible Indians, specially the so-called educated ones, who suspend their powers of reason at the drop of a hat, to flaunt their unforgivable ignorance.
The actual story of the founding of India’s atomic energy and space programs reads like a thriller!
In Mission ISRO (a Spotify podcast series), Harsha Bhogle’s narration about the Indian Space Research Organization keeps us glued to our seats! Meticulous research and sticking to the truth in no way lessens the impact of this exciting, almost unbelievable tale!
But what is so puzzling is the fact that Mallika Sarabhai, the daughter of Vikram Sarabhai, gave this series the stamp of her approval.
In the critique of the television series Rocket Boys, a biopic on the founders of India’s program Drs Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai ("A missed opportunity,” Parsiana, June 7-20, 2022), the writer has made recommendations of what should have been highlighted. Having been scathingly critical for three fourths of the review, towards the end he briefly recalls that there may also be some redeeming features to be mentioned.
Some of his points are valid: especially about Bhabha diving into a pool of irradiated water wearing an elegant suit with nothing but a screwdriver in his hand! One is also dismayed at the depiction of the villainous Raza Mehdi, a Muslim. In these contentious times such provocation is hardly needed. However, laboring on the fictitious Mehdi, who in reality was the brilliant Bengali scientist Meghnad Saha, reveals the writer’s research, but recommending what should have been covered in the series borders on arrogance.
The editors’ comment on the author at the end states that he is writing a "forthcoming biography of Dr Homi Bhabha.” I hope the author writes a biography and not a research paper as he had done in his book on conductor Zubin Mehta.