Akshay Kumar is gearing up for the release of his first space-themed film, Mission Mangal. The actor hopes to capture the curiosity of young Indians with the film, the way several American classics in the past have. In a note, Akshay shared, “For several years, Hollywood made movies and TV shows like Star Trek, Star Wars, Gravity etc. This inspired an entire generation of inventors, scientists and explorers. I have always wanted to be part of one such movie. A movie that inspires our future generations.”

Mission Mangal is directed by Jagan Shakti. The film traces the journey of India’s first interplanetary space expedition through the story of the ISRO women scientists who made it possible. The ensemble cast features Vidya Balan, Taapsee Pannu, Sonakshi Sinha, Kirti Kulhari, Nithya Menen and others. In a tweet, Akshay added that he did the film for his 6-year-old daughter Nitara and children of her age, to ‘‘familarise them with the incredible true story of India’s mission to Mars.”

Mission Mangal is scheduled to release on August 15. The film will be clashing with Prabhas’ Saaho and John Abraham’s Batla House.