Homi Bhabha, Vikram Sarabhai, APJ Abdul Kalam And More: All About Reel VS Real People In Rocket Boys

If you have still not watched Rocket Boys, the web series people are raving about on the internet, you are perhaps missing out on good content. The show that follows the life story of India's pioneers of modern science and technology in India - Homi J Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai, is being hailed as Sony Liv's best show since Scam 1992.

The show stars Jim Sarbh, Ishwak Singh, Regina Cassandra, Rajit Kapur, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Arjun Radha Krishnan, Saba Azad, KC Shankar, Rajiv Kachroo and Namit Das.

If you watched the web series that caught everyone's attention you would know the sheer brilliance of the show that shed light on the real-life friendship and bond between two physicists -- Homi J Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai-- the founding fathers of the Indian Nuclear and Space Program whose vision made people believe that India could reach bigger heights.

Here's a look at reel vs real-life characters of Rocket Boys.

1. Homi J Bhabha played by Jim Sarbh

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Born in Bengaluru and educated at Oscars, Homi Jenhagir Bhabha is known as the father of the Indian nuclear programme. He was also the founding director and the professor of Physics at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). His passion for research on atomic energy also made him organise the first UN Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy in 1955.

2. Vikram Sarabhai played by Ishwak Singh

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Vikram Sarabhai, also known as Father of the Indian space program, completed his PhD under the supervision of CV Raman. He set up institutions such as Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad along with other industrialists, and the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts (in collaboration with his wife Mrinalini) in Ahmedabad in 1949.

3. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru played by Rajit Kapur

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India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru helped Homi Bhabha fulfill his vision of atomic energy. It is because of Nehru's faith in science and technology that he had genuine respect for Homi J Bhabha. When Bhabha wrote to Nehru about starting a separate branch of science that would specialize in atomic energy, his vision became Nehru's mission and thus Atomic Energy Commission was formed led by Bhabha and then Sarabhai.

4. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam played by Arjun Radhakrishnan

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Hailed as the Missile Man of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam appears in Rocket Boys as a young student who Vikram Sarabhai takes under his wings. What Sarabhai was to Bhabha, Kalam is to Sarabhai. Both of them together launch India's first rocket into space.

5. CV Raman played by Karthik Shrinivasan

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Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, also known as CV Raman Indian Institute of Science, was a great scientist who became the first asian to win Nobel Prize for physics in 1930. He was the founder of Indian Journal of Physics in 1926. He moved to Bangaluru in 1933 to become the first Indian director of the Indian Institute of Science. He is also the man who explained the blue color of sea that is caused by selective absorption and scattering of white light.

6. JRD Tata played by Rajiv Kachroo

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Indian aviator, industrialist and entrepreneur Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata was the chairman of Tata Group. For his contribution to Indian industry, in 1992, he was awarded two of India's highest civilian awards the Padma Vibhushan and the Bharat Ratna. When India was still under foreign rule, Bhabha and Tata were thinking ahead of time. Tata supported Homi Bhabha's research program.

7. Mrinalini Sarabhai played by Regina Cassandra

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The renowned Indian classical dancer and choreographer was the founder of Darpana Academy of Performing Arts. Sh married Vikram Sarabhai in 1942. Did you know their daughter is also a classical dancer just like her mother?

8. Pravana Irani aka Pipsy played by Saba Azad

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The characters is mostly fiction in web show. However, it is loosely based on Homi Bhabha's close friend Phiroza 'Pipsy' Wadia . It is said their bond and companionship was often questioned by the society since they weren't married. They made a rebellious couple who challenged the morals of marital commitment. After Bhabha's death, Pravana Irani played a significant role in Bhabha's institution Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR).

9. Dr Raza Mehdi played by Dibyendu Bhattacharya

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The role of Dr Raza Mehdi was portrayed by Dibyendu Bhattacharya. This is reportedly a fictional character, also an amalgamation of several people who played an important part in the growth of Bhabha.

10. Dr Vishwesh Mathur played by KC Shankar

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Similarly, Dr Vishwesh Mathur played by KC Shankar is also an amalgamation of several characters. The character is based on CIA's alleged involvement in Homi Bhabha's ambiguous death.

11. Prosenjit Dey played by Namit Das

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In the show, Mathur joins hands with Prosenjit Dey, a CIA spy, in order to bring down Bhabha to become the Chairman of the Trombay Nuclear Research Center. This is also a fictional character on Rocket Boys.

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