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Rocket Boys on Sony LIV is the story of Homi J Bhabha, Vikram Sarabhai and the drama, tension and subsequent triumph of India’s nuclear project. Jim Sarbh has excelled in his portrayal of Homi J. Bhabha, the Indian scientist who was a Mumbai native and a homegrown scientist. He studied mechanical engineering from Cambridge but always had an inclination towards working in the field of Physics. Homi J. Bhabha’s story, right from his birth in a wealthy Parsi family to his growth as one of the marquee scientists of Indian history, takes centre stage in Rocket Boys, which was released this Friday. Here’s the trailer:
But while there’s this show to educate you on every facet of Bhabha’s successful life, we take you through the details of his spacious, widespread and heritage Mumbai home, which was valued at Rs 372 crore, eight years ago, in 2014.
Rocket Boys central character Homi J Bhabha’s Mumbai bungalow which was sold for Rs 372 crore
Before stepping into the details and timeline of this architectural grandeur owned by Homi J. Bhabha, here’s a little quick snippet on his life:
Bhabha was born in a wealthy family in Mumbai. In 1927, he went to Cambridge University in England. Adhering to the wishes of his family, Bhabha studied engineering but was always keen on exploring physics. “I seriously say to you that business or a job as an engineer is not the thing for me,” wrote Bhabha in 1932, as reported by Outlook India.
Bhabha returned to India and founded the Cosmic Ray Research Institute. In 1945, he founded the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and began the initial research for India’s nuclear program. In 1947, almost no time after India’s independence, Bhabha wrote to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, “within the next couple of decades, atomic energy would play an important part in the economy and the industry of countries and that, if India did not wish to fall even further behind industrially advanced countries of the world, it would be necessary to develop this branch of science.”
In 1954, Bhabha founded a nuclear research center at Trombay which was later renamed the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). He was the head of India’s nuclear program until his death in a plane crash in 1966.
Homi J. Bhabha’s grand Mumbai bungalow
Mumbai’s Malabar Hill needs no introduction. One of the poshest localities in the city, and the country as well, Malabar Hill was where Bhabha lived. Mehrangir, the bungalow’s name was derived from Bhabha’s parents’ names, Mehrbai and Jehangir. After his death in 1966, the bungalow was rightfully handed over to the next custodian in the Bhabha family, Homi’s brother Jamshed. Jamshed was the founder of the National Centre of Performing Arts (NCPA) and willed the bungalow to the company. However, after a few years, the bungalow was auctioned off by the organisation.
This is when Smita Crishna-Godrej became the rightful owner of the bungalow after winning the auction with a bid of Rs 372 crore. Smita, sister of industrialist Jamshyd Godrej, is a director in Godrej Holdings Ltd, and Naoroji Godrej Centre for Plant Research and Raptor Research and Conservation Foundation.
Unfortunately, due to the lack of sentimental value for the home, Smita Crishna-Godrej decided to demolish the property and build a multi-storeyed building. Even though there were oppositions and appeals to preserve the property as a heritage building, the court ruled in favour of demolition. The property was then demolished two years later, in 2016, and every single paper of Homi J. Bhabha’s research, including his personal letters, was handed over to the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR).
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