While discussing the lives of scientists Homi J Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai at FICCI Frames, Nikkhil Advani and Siddharth Roy Kapur – who made the show Rocket Boys, which is based on the lives of Bhabha and Sarabhai – pointed out why they feel Bollywood heroes and cricketers are not heroes in the truest sense of the word.

Creator Nikkhil Advani said, “The definition of patriotism today is so skewed. Here are two guys (Homi J Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai) who could have gone to any institution in the world, but both of them chose to stay in India with no resources whatsoever, and build (the newly-independent country). When Sid (Siddharth Roy Kapur) and I were discussing (about Homi J Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai) in the beginning, we were saying how can the heroes of this generation just be from Bollywood? And we are from Bollywood,” adding, “How can heroes of this generation just be Bollywood actors and cricketers? Today’s generation needs to be reminded of (what) the stalwarts did, and how they are responsible for where we are today. They were lawyers, doctors, educators, scientists, and members of Parliament. All of us believe that was the true form of patriotism.”

Talking about the positive reactions Rocket Boys has garnered, producer Siddharth Roy Kapur said, “People are amazed about the optimism of these two men at the beginning of the journey of India, and the fact that they are actually having conflict about issues. The fact that their friendship was being affected because of the things they believed in, which when we reflect about it today, feels like people’s minds are a lot more muddled about the state of the country and the decisions that are being made. And these were two men who were the best definition of patriots. But they were normal human beings who were starting out and building a country together. They had conflicts and were fighting about their definition of what the country should become.”

Siddharth added, “A lot of people I talk to are like, ‘wow! these times also happened’. An India which was so fragile and susceptible to so many powers. I think the show does that with a light touch to tell that story.”