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Aamir Khan to play astronaut Rakesh Sharma, Siddharth Roy Kapur to produce the film

13 Feb 2017

Just of late, we had reported that Sushant Singh Rajput is neck-deep in prepping for his role as an astronaut. Now one of Bollywoods biggest superstars too is eyeing at a space adventure and it is none other than Aamir Khan.Yes, the actor has apparently been approached by former UTV head honcho Siddharth Roy Kapur for a film which is inspired by real life. Buzz is that the film in question will have Siddharth Roy Kapur co-producing it under his new banner RK films (Roy Kapur Films) along with Aamir Khan too coming on board as a producer. It is said to be directed by Mahesh Mathai and will be based on the life of first Indian man to fly into space, retired Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma. The story is a period drama set at the backdrop of Indira Gandhis rule and about how Sharma made India proud by putting the nation in the elite list at 14 th position in the top nations who sent their people to space. Rakesh Sharma, who passed the National Defence Academy and joined Air Force, flew the Soviet Rocket Soyuz T-11 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazak Soviet Socialist Republic on April 2 nd , 1984. The crew included Ships Commander Yury Malyshev and Flight Engineer Gennadi Strekalov. After a 7 day, 21 hour and 40 minute study at the Salyut 7 Orbit station where they conducted over 43 experimental sessions, Sharma met the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at a broadcast news conference in Moscow where he was asked by her to describe how India looks from space. He had then replied Saare Jahan Se Achha , taking a cue from the verses of the patriotic poem by Iqbal. He was conferred with the Hero of the Soviet Union after he returned from space as well as the prestigious Ashok Chakra amongst many other accolades. As for the film, it has been learnt that it is still in the initial stages and the details of casting and so on are yet to be divulged.