24th September 2014 was the date India joined an exalted league of nations, with ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) becoming the world's fourth space agency to reach Mars after the Soviet Space Program, Nasa and the European Space Agency. With this, India became the first Asian nation to reach the Mars orbit and world's only nation to have done so in the first attempt.
This glorious story that we can wrap in a bouquet of words, took a bunch of exceptionally hardworking scientists choosing faith over uncertainty, pushing every hurdle and investing every bit of hope for nearly two years before the Mangalyaan took off. So did India, towards a new prestige. That's precisely the pride Imran Khan's short film Mission Mars wants to capture.
Khan, who is missing from films for quite a while now, made a comeback, albeit as a director. Johnnie Walker- The Journey and Dharma 2.0's venture, Mission Mars is a well-researched, neatly put effort that encapsulates the gigantic journey in a nutshell. Even a layman can look at it and figure out that technical aspects were indeed taken seriously and have been replicated as much as possible.
The tension, as well as the excitement, comes alive in a way that it engages you and you want to live the emotions. The film is spread over a span of the 32 months that witnessed most of the madness, mostly set over the control rooms and a few board meetings, cradling from demotivation to determination. Prakash Belawadi plays the pioneer of the mission, while supportive characters are played by Vijay Kashyap, Abhishek Saha, Sonali Kashyap and Deepak Dhadwal among others.
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It's been my pleasure and my privilege to tell this inspiring story of India's mission to Mars. Thank you to the wonderful team of professionals who supported my efforts with their talent and enthusiasm; Anuj, Ali, Bindiya, Charu, Kaizad, Kaps, Raha & Varun I wouldn't have made it very far without you. And thank you to the first two people crazy enough to climb aboard my spaceship; @punitdmalhotra and @sahabime you guys always had my back. I'm grateful. #missionmarsthefilm is now live; link in bio. #keepwalkingindia
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Known as MOM (Mars Orbiter Mission) , this specific development remains a landmark in the history of India's space research. Given the new ways how consumers are now accepting content, it was probably a smart choice for Imran to spin it as a short film instead of a feature.
Well done, Mr debutant director!
