Nakuul Mehta on Space Gen: Chandrayaan - 'I think I was ignorant; didn’t understand the gravity of the work ISRO scientists do'

Nakuul Mehta discusses his role in Space Gen: Chandrayaan detailing his portrayal of Arjun’s mental health, his newfound respect for ISRO’s diverse work, and the weight of artistic responsibility.

Nakuul Mehta in a still from Space Gen: Chandrayaan

The emotional and cinematic impact of the highly anticipated series Space Gen: Chandrayaan on JioHotstar (OTTplay Premium) still lingers just a day after its launch. Released on January 23, 2026, the series explores the human cost of celestial ambition, focusing not just on the mechanics of a rocket launch but on the internal gravity of the people behind it. At the heart of this narrative is Nakuul Mehta, who portrays Arjun—a character navigating the crushing weight of personal failure and the immense shadow of national expectation.

In this exclusive conversation with OTTplay, Nakuul delves into the intricacies of his performance, delving into the rigorous research that alleviated his "ignorance" about the work of ISRO scientists and the organic, often nerve-wracking process of filming Arjun's mental health struggles. From the competitive spirit of a paddle game to the silence of a high-stakes breakdown on set, the actor shares how he balanced his high standards with the responsibility of representing India’s unsung scientific heroes.

Edited excerpts from the interview below...

While playing this character, did your perception of "the morning after a setback" and how you view setbacks in your own life change?

Nakuul: I think personally for me I’ve, many times, felt disappointment with myself. More than being dejected with the industry or the world not giving you enough opportunities, I’ve felt there have been occasions where I’ve not, and this is away from work. I’ve felt time away from work, I’ve not really been productive, and I’ve not used it to the best I could. And I think I hold myself to pretty high standards; it comes from being very competitive in sports. And it could be a simple game of paddle, but I’d really kick myself if I didn’t try. And so I know that feeling of dejection, despair and talking to yourself, and it’s also a good thing because that’s the only thing which kind of pushes me to try to do better.

So I could borrow that sentiment whilst I was playing Arjun because whilst his was much, much larger, not only was he sort of, it was alleged that, he kind of failed the mission, but also, it was a larger promise to his father, and so it becomes way more than your personal ambition. Right? And the weight of that can be quite intense. I can only imagine. So yeah, you borrow a little bit from life, and then you kind of play with your imagination, I think.

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Q: While the world saw the rocket launch, this series focuses on the people. What was the most surprising thing you learnt about the lives of ISRO scientists while filming?

Nakuul: No, honestly, I don’t think I had understood the gravity of what work they’re doing. They’re doing God’s work, right? One is to go to the moon and figure out if life outside is possible, if we can use this for, sort of, human growth, but the other is they’re working on different areas. During the time of COVID-19, oxygen cylinder mapping and where to send the oxygen, to make them cheaper, was made possible. Climate change: today we are able to see how our glaciers are melting, at what rate they’re melting, and where the frozen lakes are coming from. Satellites, navigation systems. Today if you want to see where your opponent or enemy is sitting across from you, you need satellites, and we didn’t have them 25 years ago, and today we have them, and that was APJ Kalam’s dream.

I don’t think so; I think I was ignorant. And it needed me to go through this process of reading and researching, but I hope that our show Space Gen can make it easier. Because not everybody may go through the pain of wanting to know or be curious. But this show will, in a way, sensitise people to what ISRO does. People might come to it for entertainment, but if it can sensitise people to what ISRO does, I think that’ll be beautiful, and that alone would have been, I think that alone would make this a successful project for all of us.

Q: Dealing with mental health is an intriguing aspect of your character. How was it while performing those scenes, especially because they’re quite intense and claustrophobic?

Nakuul: I think I was nervous. I think that was the only part of the script because there are, I mean, I don’t know how much of it stays in the show, but there were four different separate incidents of breakdowns which come from anxiety and come from childhood and dreams unfulfilled. And that was and funnily, Dan (Danish Sait) and I spoke a lot about it; he would constantly ask me, and I think he understands a fair bit about mental health and challenges, and he and I have had quite a few chats about it, and he would come and ask me, 'Oh, what’s your plan? How do you want to play it? Are you going to play it? Are you going to exaggerate it? Are you going to underplay it?' And we spoke a lot about it, but I think I didn’t have preconceived notions of how I wanted to do it. For me especially, and I’m assuming for all of us, the first couple of days or three days till you find that one scene where you find your rhythm in the character, you’re kind of unsteady. When you find the rhythm that informs everything you do. And you hope that you find it soon in the first couple of days or three days because there isn’t so much time; you would have shot a few things, right?

Luckily for me, those parts didn’t happen early on, or maybe it was scheduled to be by the good people at TVF. And I think by the time I got there, there was a fair sense of, Why is he going through it? And it kind of organically happened, and I didn’t let my free mind decide how I wanted to play it. I kind of went with the journey. I felt at that point, and it kind of really helped to have someone as senior as Shriya (Saran) around, someone who understands, I think, human minds, and, as a comedian, your strength is observation, right? And whilst there may not be a direct contribution to my scene, just seeing them operate and work and talk about craft and work, I felt I borrowed things, and one of those scenes I remember, which is at the end of episode 1, Danish had packed up shooting, and he continued to stay because he was so excited to see what would happen, what Arjun would do. And that actually gave me, made me a little nervous because I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m not just performing for the camera, but now Danish is kind of watching.’ And the funny thing is he was around, and I finished the take, and I finished the take, and I knew there was silence, and I came back, and the first person I looked at was not the director; it was Danish. And he just looked at me, and he was like, ‘Got it. You said that, remember? Got it. Got it.’ It’s a very, it’s his thing, right? Got it. And that’s all I looked for.

Q: When you present stories of national importance or scientific achievement, do you feel an added responsibility to be more "fact-checked" or informed in your public discourse?

Nakuul: Honestly, when I read the script, I knew this was more than just a job as an actor; it was you representing a community which is not hailed as heroes often. Yeah. And once I was on set, there was no sort of intention to sort of make it heroic. Then it was about getting the job and getting the character done. But when I read the script, I knew the responsibility. But then as an actor you play a character, right? I don’t think you carry that weight onto set every day because you also want to do – you want to get the job done right as professionals?

All episodes of Space Gen: Chandrayaan are now streaming on JioHotstar (OTTplay Premium).

Space Gen: Chandrayaan FAQs:

Q: When was Space Gen: Chandrayaan released?

A: Space Gen: Chandrayaan premiered on January 23, 2026, exclusively on JioHotstar (OTTplay Premium), released just ahead of the Republic Day weekend.

Q: Who does Nakuul Mehta play in Space Gen: Chandrayaan?

A: Nakuul Mehta stars as Arjun Verma, ISRO’s Chief Navigation Officer. The character is portrayed as a man navigating personal failures and the pressure of national expectations, whose motivation is rooted in a promise made to his father, a Kargil war veteran.

Q: How many episodes are in Space Gen: Chandrayaan?

A: Space Gen: Chandrayaan consists of five episodes, produced by The Viral Fever (TVF) in their first collaboration with JioHotstar (OTTplay Premium).

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