Maryland [US]: Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, whose upcoming film ‘The Vaccine War’ is set to hit the theatres in September, has termed the success of Chandryaan-3 “a victory of women scientists in India.”
Director Agnihotri made these remarks at a special screening of ‘The Vaccine War’ in the US.
“I think Indian science is now evolving and is getting on the world map and it is happening only because of women scientists,” he said.
“I’m elated, I almost had tears in my eyes. Again the same story, like my film (The Vaccine War). Mostly women, whom the West does not consider empowered because of a variety of reasons… It’s a great victory for Indian women and Indian science,” he said.
He also said that how despite low resources and India being considered a country lacking in the race for science, it has become a leading force in space.
“Despite having very low resources and not much experience, we are trying to become a self-reliant country. The same country which was not even considered in the science race a few decades ago, today is a leading force. Whether it’s bioscience, rocket science or ocean science, We are the largest solar power-producing country in the world today.
I think Indian science is now evolving and is getting on the world map and it is happening only because of our women scientists,” Agnihotri added.
India took a giant leap on August 23, as the Chandrayaan-3 lander module successfully landed on the moon’s South pole, making it the first country to have achieved the historic feat.
The country became the fourth– after the US, China, and Russia – to have successfully landed on the moon’s surface. Meanwhile, the Pragyan rover rolled out of Chandrayaan-3 Vikram lander’s belly and moved on the lunar surface began doing its set experiments and subsequently relayed them back to ISRO headquarters.
“The Vaccine War is about how India made the Covid vaccines under unprecedented challenges, and later provided them free of cost to many countries throughout the world that were in dire need of this vaccine. The movie celebrates the power of the fiercely driven and motivated women scientists of India who worked day and night to produce the COVID-19 vaccine. We are looking forward to a great success of Vaccine War,” said Mohan Wanchoo, organiser for the show in New York.
“Based on the reaction of people who have seen it, The Vaccine War could be another blockbuster for Vivek Agnihotri like his earlier National award winner The Kashmir Files,” he added.
“Vivek is a brilliant and bold filmmaker,” Al Mason, a prominent Indian American voice said.
The director is currently on an “India for Humanity Tour, USA” and screening his movie before a select audience in various cities including Washington DC, New York, LA, Houston and more.
‘The Vaccine War’ will narrate the tale of the triumph of scientists and 130 crore people who fought the battle in the Covid-19 era. Agnihotri unveiled the film’s teaser on social media earlier this month.
The brief teaser gave a glimpse of the activities of scientists involved with the BBV152 vaccine, also known as Covaxin, developed by Bharat Biotech in partnership with the Indian Council of Medical Research – National Institute of Virology.
Actors like Nana Patekar, Anupam Kher and Pallavi Joshi headline the film.
