2023 has been a monumental year in India’s space exploration. ISRO made its historic triumph with Chandrayaan 3, establishing India as the first nation to mark a soft landing near the Lunar South Pole, dated August 23rd 2025. This is India’s story—powered by the genius minds whose ingenuity surpasses any machine. TVF now brings the extraordinary tale to the screens, giving the colossal achievements a human touch through Space Gen: Chandrayaan on Jio Hotstar.
TVF has long excelled at crafting stories of the human spirit—narratives that resonate deeply and strike at the heart of what really matters. The series, Space Gen, pursues a similar aim once again. What particularly amplified our minds is the series’ deliberate choice to eschew excessive technical jargon in favour of what truly nurtures Indian audiences—raw and unfiltered emotion. We have come across remarks that characterise the series as ‘dumbed down’. However, the reality remains that most audiences across the country—myself included—don’t own the specialised scientific background that is required to understand the complex aerospace engineering. The series wisely prioritises accessibility over technical precision. Reminds me of Albert Einstein’s quote, “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.”
The series is based on real events and follows ISRO’s attempt to send C3 into space after the failed landing of C2 in 2019. The series immerses us in the emotional turbulence the scientists endure, reminding us they are humans above all. Each episode shows how they grapple with setbacks, how the crushing performance pressure mounts with each task and review, and how, in a single failure, the brilliant minds—the geniuses — can be dismissed by harsh criticism and how their years of hard work can be eclipsed by one misstep.
We adored the cast in and out. Nakuul Mehta plays Arjun Verma, who anchors as the navigation system expert. He brings an emotional release to the series. Shriya Saran as Yamini, the calm in the chaos project director, who steadies the ship when the tempest threatens to tremble it. Prakash Belawadi plays Sudarshan Ramaiah, bringing conviction to the narrative, treating failures as the foundational pillars. Meanwhile, Gopal Datt as Rakesh Mohanty masterfully punctures the mounting tension with well-timed levity; the Rasputin reference alone continues to elicit chuckles. Rest unveils as you watch the series.
Created by Arunabh Kumar and directed by Anant Singh, the series wraps up in under 5 crisp episodes, each approximately 35 minutes. Space Gen: Chandrayaan is currently streaming on Jio Hotstar.
IWMBuzz rates it 3.5/5 stars.
