Rocket Boys is a drama TV series created by Nikkhil Advani, directed by Abhay Pannu and stars Jim Sarbh, Ishwak Singh, Regina Cassandra, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Rajit Kapoor, and K.C. Shankar, alongside other cast members. Rocket Boys 2 has 8 episodes, each with a runtime of around 50 minutes.
SonyLIV describes the series as: “Based on the Pokhran nuclear test Operation Smiling Buddha, Indian scientists buckle up for an audacious attempt to test the country’s first nuclear bomb as war looms. Dreams and moral ambiguities clash as India’s satellite programme expands amidst a change of guard at the highest level.”
– Rocket Boys 2 Review Does Not Contain Spoilers –
Rocket Boys 2 opens with chaos and the excitement and hopefulness of building something new. It’s two different worlds of two brilliant minds colliding on our screens, and the series does what it did best the first time around – showcasing a series of events which have so much hope surrounding them, as well as the camaraderie between two brilliant minds.
At the forefront of Rocket Boys are Ishwak Singh and Jim Sarbh, who reprise their roles of Vikram Sarabhai and Homi J. Bhabha, respectively. As per usual, both of them are just so good at their roles that you just can’t look away from the screen. Of course, the screenplay is excellent, but these two men are magnetic.
There are a lot of things to be proved in independent India – with a new country that needs a ton of resources, there’s a lot of stake for Vikram and Homi. One wrong move can be the difference between success and failure. Thus, when the two do go through the motions of their great breakthroughs and inventions, as well as the failures associated with these breakthroughs, you are pulled into their stories and feel for them in all of the highs and lows.
It is nothing new that Rocket Boys 2 doesn’t glorify its heroes. If anything, we have always gotten a fair side of these people and the privileges that they come from. However, this season is more about politics, the highs and lows of the trade and assassination attempts.
The interpersonal conversations, relationships and a changing political background are a part and parcel of this season, which feels a bit sad considering the first part was filled with so much mirth and the excitement of what lies ahead. Season 2 feels more cynical and sort of darker, but that’s probably because the times themselves were grave.
With Nehru’s declining health, Indira Gandhi comes to the forefront this season, and so do tons of discussions on the heavier side of things. Sarbh and Singh don’t have very many scenes together this season, which is a miss of huge magnitudes. I think I enjoyed the last season more because of the chemistry between these two and how well they gelled together. This season feels a little devoid of that joy as the years in the universe pass by rapidly, and things decline between the dynamic duo steadily amid sabotages and failures.
However, it’s the emotional moments between the characters that really shine through in this series. Sure, we don’t see much between Homi and Vikram, but we do see a ton between some other characters that really make them shine through. You see who they are as people and feel connected to their storylines just a bit more.
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There’s a thriller element hidden neatly within the folds of the story about some of the greatest minds of India. I don’t know how much the story of Vishwesh Mathur and Prosenjit Dey follows reality and truth, but watching them foil plans and be menacing adds a layer of intrigue in the mix – to think that our leaps and bounds scare the greatest nations of the world is definitely an interesting watch.
Although the entirely fictional Raza Mehdi will leave you heartbroken till the end, he is more so the reason why you would want the bad guys to face some consequences for once.
It’s also great watching the recreation of some of India’s biggest moments in history, especially because you are so in tune with the characters, and thus you have an emotional connection to these situations. There’s additionally something about Indira Gandhi, played rather well by Charu Shankar, that will pull you to the screen. Shankar brings Gandhi’s ferocity on screen well but is also soft when the script needs her to be.
There’s nothing new to say about Jim Sarbh and Ishwak Singh. The deaths of the physicists feel like personal losses at this point, especially when we lose Bhaba a bit too early on in the season. Singh almost makes up for his loss, but honestly, Sarbh plays Bhaba’s character with a sort of flamboyance and determination that is almost infectious. Singh’s Vikram Sarabhai is also quite hard-headed, but he seems sweeter and more approachable. Together, they make a deadly combination, albeit gone too soon.
Summing Up: Rocket Boys 2
I missed the infectious mix of the two principal characters this season. Things seem grimmer and more serious this time around, and in spite of having many emotional moments, it’s the politics that ultimately takes the fun out of the buddy show. Instead, Rocket Boys 2 is gritter and is almost thriller in some parts.
I enjoyed following this journey that had so many happy and sad moments associated with it. Personally, I liked the first season more, but the second season will definitely not disappoint fans of the series.
Rocket Boys 2 is streaming on SonyLIV.
Also Read: Rocket Boys (2022) Review: Jim Sarbh, Ishwak Singh Series is Infectious in the Best Way