April 2, 1984 is marked as an important date in the Indian history of science and space. It was the date when the SoyuzT11 spacecraft was launched. This was an unforgettable achievement for India when it launched its first spacecraft. Rakesh Sharma was a member of the Soviet Union’s Soyuz T-11 expedition, launched on April 2, 1984. In honor of the 36th anniversary of that historic day, Maharashtra Information Center director Dayanand Kamble relived a conversation between Indira Gandhi and IAF officer Rakesh Sharma.
The conversation is remembered for Mr. Sharma’s memorable response to Indira Gandhi’s query about how India appears from space. Indira Gandhi asked Mr. Sharma, “Upar se Bharat kaisa dikhta hai aapko?” . To which Mr. Sharma replied that it looks better than the whole world quoting Iqbal’s famous line “Saare jahaan se accha”. To which the former smiled. The video call was set to know the experience of Mr. Rakesh Sharma and if he was facing any major problems while being there. At the end of the video she wished him all the best and had a safe landing back to earth.
The video has gained so much love and respect from the audience that it has gathered more than 80000 views and tons of comments.
As part of a joint mission between the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the Soviet Interkosmos space program, astronaut Rakesh Sharma spent seven days and 21 hours in space. It arrived at the Salyut 7 Orbital Station with a three-member Soviet-Indian international crew consisting of Yury Malyshev, the ship’s commander, and Gennadi Strekalov, its flight engineer.
As a result of his return from space, he received the honor of Hero of the Soviet Union. Until today, he is the only Indian to have received this honor. He and two Soviet members of his mission, Malyshev and Strekalov, were also awarded India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, the Ashoka Chakra.
Rakesh Sharma was born on 13 January 1949, in Patiala, Punjab, India. The Indian Air Force commissioned him as a pilot in 1970 after he joined the National Defense Academy in 1966 as an air force plebe. In 1984, he attained the rank of squadron leader after climbing through many levels. As part of a joint programme between Indian Air Force and Soviet Interkosmos, he was selected on 20 September 1982 to become a cosmonaut and go into space. In 1984, Sharma became the nation’s first citizen to reach space.
There has also been news of making a movie on his biopic with the name “Saare Jahaan se Accha” from some sources and it is on halt since last three years as makers have zeroed in finding an actor suitable for the role. The film has been in the shadows for some time with Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Vicky Kaushal attached as lead actors. However, according to reports, Farhan is now being approached for the role of the hero. The announcement of Saare Jahaan Se Accha was made in 2018. The project is being directed by Mahesh Mathai with Anjum Rajabali directing it. According to the report, preparation for the film will involve body transformation, physical training, and understanding what it means to be an astronaut. As per a source, Farhan also has a similar height and body structure to Rakesh and that is what convinced the makers to cast him in the biopic.
“The script with the dialogue draft is locked, and they will now work on getting together an ensemble cast and planning out the shoot schedule,” a source reported.
The story of Rakesh Sharma still touches the heart of every Indian. He was the first Indian astronaut who made India proud by being nation’s first citizen to reach space.
