Saba Azad addresses the expectations from Rocket Boys season 2 and how she internalised her character Parvana Irani aka Pipsy.
The second (and final) season of Rocket Boys is almost here. The biographical drama traces the lives and works of two eminent Indian scientists – Homi J Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai. The news that the second season will round off the story left a few fans sad. But it’s not just the fans. Even actors who are part of the show were left misty-eyed at the prospect.
Saba Azad plays Homi Bhabha’s companion Parvani Irani aka Pipsy on the popular show. In an exclusive chat with DNA, the actress spoke about the pressures of delivering in the second season after season one’s success and just how much Pipsy is a part of her now.
Talking about the audience’s expectations from season 2, Saba says, “When you are shooting, you are not thinking about the added pressure. But at the end of the day when the product is ready to be released, you are obviously thinking about the fact that some people appreciated it and the expectations are much higher. You know people are expecting a lot more from the show. But if you have a good show and a good story to tell, you are confident that you can meet those expectations.”
Saba believes that the function of her character is to show Homi as a human, and without her, the audience would only be able to see an academic, almost technical side of the multifaceted man. “The function of Pipsy is to view Homi from more of a human lens. That comes into play this season as well. We see Homi as this brilliant scientist and thinker and see him from the point of view of science and politics. But you don’t see the human side of him except when Pipsy brings it out” says Saba.
When asked how it was to reconnect with Pipsy when she began shooting season 2 after a gap, the actress says the character never really ‘left’ her. She elaborates, “Pipsy never really left my system. I was cast in Rocket Boys in May 2020. And because of Covid, it was always like sometimes we were shooting and sometimes we were not. That was happening a lot. That is why Pipsy stayed with me throughout. There is a part of every character that stays with you always. It just leaves a part of themselves in you. That’s really enjoyable, collecting experiences that are not your own. It’s quite beautiful. It’s such a lovely job being an actor.”
But when a character becomes such an integral part of the actor, saying the final goodbye must be hard too. Saba respinds, “Pipsy was especially hard to let go because I have been with her for three years. Also, because Rocket Boys has done so beautifully and made with such attention to detail that it was great to be part of such a show. So for that reason too, this character, more than any other, has been hard to let go of. There was a little bit of sadness and there were definitely tears on the last day of shoot. But they were good, happy tears.”
The second season of Rocket Boys streams on Sony Liv on March 16. The show also stars Jim Sarvh, Ishwak Singh, Regina Cassandra, and Dibyendu Bhattacharya.
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 "Saba Azad in Rocket Boys")
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