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The first season of Rocket Boys ended on a cliffhanger with fans wondering whether Dr Homi J Bhabha, played by Jim Sarbh in the show, died. Now that the next season is up for release, Sarbh is relieved as he would not be asked the fate of his character anymore. “I have frustrated people by telling them to watch the show. Now that it’s out, the mystery will be finally resolved,” he told indianexpress.com.
The Abhay Pannu directorial also stars Ishwak Singh as Dr Vikram Sarabhai and tells the story of the two scientists, who together built India’s nuclear and space programs. The SonyLIV show was much loved by fans and also received many awards. Sharing that they always knew they were making a ‘special’ project, Jim said, “I don’t think one can predict the future accurately, so I didn’t really expect it to blow so much. But I did hope that it would be well-received, which did happen.”
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Talking about prepping up for the part, the Padmaavat actor said that there was a lot of material on what people wrote about him, and even his own texts that helped him shape the character. “There were lots of quotes and the script was well-researched. I just did auxiliary research to go back on checking things up, most of it was bang on. Also, the writing team was amazing and the research was top-notch,” he shared. While many would feel that relating to a person, born many decades earlier would be tough, Jim had the right response. He said, “As an actor, even if you cannot relate to the person, you have to connect with them in order to play it convincingly. I think the workshops that we had and I rehearsed a lot, which actually helped me. I think it wasn’t so much about relatability but there was great admiration for him.”
When asked if he picked a quality of Dr Bhabha that he inculcated in life, Jim smiled to say, “I tried, but it was hard. However, there was unending curiosity about him and the rigour that he had. He knew exactly what he was talking about, and investigated everything that he worked on.”
The OTT space is crowded with fast-paced series, mostly around crime and sex. With Rocket Boys talking about science and history, did the team have any apprehensions if they would have takers? “Honestly, I didn’t think twice about it as I feel any story well told will be consumed. It’s all about what they are offered. I think no subject is boring, it all depends on the quality of storytelling and how it’s told. We did try our best to make the most entertaining and exciting story.”
Jim Sarbh, who will also star in Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway concluded by saying that while he’s been getting some good offers, he’s always hungry for more. “That’s never going to change. I think it’s an unfortunate curse for any ambitious person,” he added.
Starting March 17, Rocket Boys 2 will stream on SonyLIV.
Sana Farzeen is an assistant editor at Indian Express Online and covers Entertainment across platforms. Apart from writing articles, features and opinions, she enjoys interviewing celebrities on video. An alumna of Calcutta University, Sana has previously worked with the Times Group and Tellychakkar. You can contact her at sana.farzeen@indianexpress.com. ... Read More