One giant leap for Indian cinema: how Bollywood embraced sci-fi.

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As the country seeks to establish itself as a space power, audiences are developing an appetite for the extraterrestrial on the big screen.

‘I now understand the effort it takes to execute a space mission’ ... Mission Mangal. Photograph: Fox Star Hindi Studios
▼ In 2014, India sent the Mars  Orbiter Missioninto space, and became the first country to send a satellite to orbit the planet at its first attempt – putting its much richer regional rival China in the shade as it became the first Asian nation to get to the red planet. The project was notable for being led by a team of female scientists; as is India’s  second lunar probe,  Chandrayaan-2(from the Sanskrit for “moon craft”), which was launched last month and is due to land on the moon in early September. And as the country establishes itself as a space power, Indians have developed an appetite for sci-fi themes in its cinema.
The patriotic outburst that followed the Mars mission has fuelled the latest example of Indian space cinema: Mission Mangal (Sanskrit for Mars), a fictionalised account of the Orbiter Mission. Starring and produced by Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, it is due for release on 15 August, India’s Independence Day. “I would follow the news about India’s space missions and feel proud of what we were achieving,” says Kumar. “But through Mission Mangal I guess you could say I have an insider’s perspective.”
Kumar, one of the highest paid  actors in the world, says he had long wanted to work with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Starring in a film about Mangalyaan (“Mars craft”) required him to take a crash course in astrophysics. “I now understand the amount of effort and planning it takes to successfully execute a space mission and my respect for all the scientists and engineers who work on these missions has grown immensely,” says Kumar.

Healed by an alien ... Hrithik Roshan in Koi ... Mil Gaya. Photograph: TCD/Prod.DB/Alamy Stock Photo
Sci-fi isn’t a new genre in Indian cinema, but it has nothing like the profile it has in the west. It only established itself after the country’s economy liberalised in the 1990s, allowing the entry of (▪ ▪ ▪)

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parivijesh100

This new genre films based on our country achievements in various fields are really welcome. Earlier films used to base their theme depicting poor in our country & all ills leaving our heroes & heroine sufferings or fighting only. Now, like New India, it is New Cinema on Hollywood films model.

PK47

There were some regional sci-fi movies recently but they failed to make much of an impact in the box office. This is probably the first bollywood sci-fi film i have heard after a long time.

themaskeditor

Definitely bollywood is improving in special effects. Also i would not really classify mission mangal as sci-fy because it seems more like a story or documentary on how the mars mission was executed.

But it is a good step and should be a learning experience for children and adults.

asr335704

The pace is slow but yes, Bollywood is making more sci-fi movies in comparison with the past. Also budget of movies has increased in last few years which has also helped in improving the quality of such movies.

jackoftrades

lot of CG effects work is being done in india for many foreign countries, the cost of bringing fiction movies is high

ssangra

am not sure I dig the sci fi genre the way it is turning out to b as it is pretty unreal . reality matters and the best of films that are enjoyable have real people with real stories that basically touch the heart and bring an element of humour or an event or a set of them ...basically a window into that life it is portraying.  there is of course a set of people who will try and surf the wave to get political patronage but their movies suck big time.