Bollywood Goes to Space: Indian Astronaut's Playlist Features SRK's 'Swades' Anthem on Axiom Mission 4

As the Axiom Mission 4 crew embarked on their journey to the International Space Station (ISS) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a touch of Bollywood accompanied them. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian pilot, included the song "Yuh Hi Chala Chal" from the 2004 Shah Rukh Khan film Swades on his launch-day playlist.

The popular song, "Yuh Hi Chala Chal" from the movie Swades accompanied the Axiom Mission 4 crew.

The song, composed by AR Rahman and performed by Udit Narayan, Kailash Kher, and Hariharan, reflects Shukla's Indian heritage and embodies the spirit of determination inherent in both the film and his mission.

Watch: Shubhanshu Shukla's first words from space.

Axiom Space shared the Ax-4 crew's complete playlist on X. Peggy Whitson, the mission commander and a seasoned astronaut, selected "Thunder" by Imagine Dragons. However, Shukla's Bollywood choice captured attention and sparked excitement among fans on Earth.

Launched from Florida’s Launch Complex 39A at 2:31 am ET, the Ax-4 mission represents the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS. The crew, consisting of Shukla, Whitson, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, is scheduled to dock with the station on Thursday, June 26.

The team is scheduled to spend up to 14 days in orbit, during which they will conduct over 60 experiments and commercial activities involving 31 countries, including India. Shukla's participation highlights the growing partnership between ISRO and NASA. The astronauts will wear advanced AxEMU spacesuits, designed for future lunar missions.

Shukla's journey echoes the narrative of Swades, where an Indian-origin NASA scientist rediscovers his roots in rural India. Now, Shukla carries that same spirit into space, demonstrating that science and music unite across all boundaries.