'Space Gen: Chandrayaan' review: Nakuul Mehta's show is bumpy ride
What's the story
Space Gen: Chandrayaan, led by Nakuul Mehta and Shriya Saran, is out on JioHotstar. It is a joint venture between the streamer and The Viral Fever (TVF). The five-episode series also features Prakash Belawadi, Danish Sait, and Gopal Datt in key roles. Based on true events surrounding India's Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3 missions, the show is well-intentioned but feels uneven and unexciting.
Plot
Captures India's Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3 missions
Directed by Anant Singh, the series delves deep into India's recent, ambitious space projects. What happens when a mission crashes at the last minute? Who is answerable when a collective dream dies? It begins with the heartbreaking failure of the Chandrayaan-2 mission in the final stages, and captures the relentless hard work of ISRO scientists that finally made Chandrayaan-3 a reality.
#1
Positives: It cuts right to the chase
Released just in time for Republic Day, Space Gen: Chandrayaan takes you inside an average, chaotic day at ISRO. How do scientists plan and execute missions? How do they wade through bureaucratic challenges? How much do we really know our heroes? The project also pays tribute to former President APJ Abdul Kalam and lauds his monumental contribution to India's scientific community.
#2
What's the cost of a nation's dream?
The show reminds you how Chandrayaan 3 (₹627.2cr) cost less than Interstellar (₹1478.4cr)! This immediately makes you realize how Indian scientists have repeatedly achieved the impossible despite relatively limited resources. Singh, clearly enamored by them, pays an ode to their vision and indefatigable spirit. Coming to the actors, Belawadi, who plays Sudarshan Ramaiah, emerges as the most natural, believable performer.
#3
Negatives: The show has no memorable characters
The project may be sincere, but it fails to strike the right chord consistently. Excessive melodrama, forgettable backstories, and tonal inconsistencies stop it from soaring high. Mehta plays Arjun, an impatient man whose entire identity is tied to his job. The makers aim to make him relatable, but he ultimately comes across as a poorly written, underdeveloped character. Other characters, too, remain woefully distant.
#4
Might remind you of passé TV shows
The makers opt for an overly simplistic approach to make the project more accessible, but this technique is a hit-and-miss. Additionally, despite the seriousness of the matter, we seldom feel the kind of thrill we should, and everything seems painfully superficial. The series lacks gravitas, and the TV-serial-like tadka in each episode doesn't do it any favors either.
#5
Datt tries hard to save the show
The ever-watchable Datt, a staple of TVF shows, turns in another striking performance as Rakesh Mohanty. However, his character suffers from an unnecessary comedic angle, which undercuts the story's dramatic impact. Moreover, perhaps due to budget constraints, the series offers subpar, tacky space visuals. Overall, for most of its runtime, Space Gen: Chandrayaan fails to draw you in.
Verdict
Sincere, but not striking; 2.5/5 stars
Space Gen: Chandrayaan intends to break through the clutter and offer a riveting story about India's space missions. The narrative is fast-paced and covers a lot of ground, but the ride is bumpy. The final moments, when India finally lands on the Moon, will make your heart swell with pride, but a terrific true story like this warranted better execution. 2.5/5 stars.