“Rakesh Sharma is an inspiring Indian hero” - Mahesh Mathai, Director of Saare Jahan Se Accha

“Rakesh Sharma is an inspiring Indian hero” - Mahesh Mathai, Director of Saare Jahan Se Accha

Rakesh Sharma, retired Air Force Wing Commander, is a respected figure across the world.  In 1984, he flew to outer space on a Soviet rocket, becoming the first Indian to do so. This was as part of an Interkosmos mission, a Soviet Union space program.  His daring flight fired up the imagination of an entire generation and when asked by then Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, how India looked from space, Rakesh said the now iconic words, "Saare Jahan Se Accha". While it has been in the news for a while now that a film on Rakesh Sharma is in the pipeline, the fact that the Embassy of Russia celebrating his achievements is truly a landmark moment.  They honored Rakesh Sharma by unveiling a specially designed portrait of his. The event, which took place in the Capital on December 3, was hosted in association with the BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry and was attended by diplomats and cultural representatives from both Indian and Russia. Rakesh Sharma. Rakesh had earlier been awarded the ‘Hero of the Soviet Union’, the highest distinction of the erstwhile Soviet Union. The celebration was followed by the screening of the film ‘The Spacewalker’ on the Russian cosmonauts who made the first-ever spacewalk. It's heartening to know that Bollywood producers Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur are making a film on this real-life hero and his inspiring story, with a superstar attached to play Rakesh Sharma. The director of the film, Mahesh Mathai was also a part of this significant event at the Russian Embassy in Delhi. He shares, "It was wonderful to see Rakesh felicitated by the Russian Embassy. Rakesh is an inspiring Indian hero and I was honored to be part of this event." The film is set to go on floors early next year and will be produced by their banners RSVP and Roy Kapur Films respectively.