Kartina Entertainment, an Indian film company, plans to shoot a biopic in Russia about Rakesh Sharma, India’s first astronaut. The project is being discussed in interviews cited by The Economic Times, with remarks attributed to the company’s chairman, Sarfaraz Alam Safa. Safa indicated that his team has already produced several films in Russia and that the Sharma biopic is moving forward, with production activities slated to take place on Russian soil. The announcement underscores Kartina Entertainment’s growing collaboration with Russian studios to bring the indelible story of Sharma to a global audience. The intention is to portray Sharma’s historic journey and the preparation that made his spaceflight possible, aligning with the broader narrative of India’s space ambitions (The Economic Times).
Rakesh Sharma’s ascent to space occurred in 1984 when he joined the crew of the Soviet Soyuz T-11 spacecraft. He spent 7 days, 21 hours, and 41 minutes in Earth orbit, sharing the mission with Soviet cosmonauts Yuri Malyshev and Gennady Strekalov. The flight marked a milestone in India’s spaceflight history and helped illuminate the possibilities of international cooperation in space exploration (The Economic Times). The biopic would likely explore Sharma’s training, the collaboration with Soviet space programs, and the personal and professional challenges he faced during that historic mission (The Economic Times).
Meanwhile, India’s ambitious Gaganyaan Project — which aims to send a national crew into space — is targeted for 2025. Reports note that four crew members have completed their training in Russia’s Star City and are continuing their preparation in India. The program represents a significant step in India’s space program, highlighting the blending of international expertise with homegrown capabilities to achieve manned spaceflight from Indian soil (The Economic Times). This evolving space narrative provides a natural backdrop for the Sharma biopic, offering viewers a window into the era of cross-cultural cooperation in space exploration (The Economic Times).