New Delhi [India], June 26 : As Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the pilot of the Axiom Mission 4, revealed that he loves to listen to Shah Rukh Khan's 'Swades' movie song 'Yuh Hi Chala Chal', Bollywood singer Udit Narayan expressed his happiness and said that it is a moment of pride for the entire country.
'Yuh Hi Chala Chal' is a popular song from the 2004 movie Swades. The song was composed by Oscar-winner AR Rahman, and the lyrics were penned by veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar.
Speaking to ANI, Narayan said, "I want to congratulate Shubhanshu Shukla and all the other pilots for the wonderful achievement to make the entire nation proud..khushi ki baat ye hai ki pehli baar Shubhanshu Shukla ye gaana gaate huye aage space mein gaye hai..It's very happy thing that this song is in his playlist"
The vocals of the song were given by Udit Narayan, Kailash Kher and Hariharan. It is a motivational track that encourages the movie's main character (SRK) to practice perseverance and follow one's own path. The song appears in a montage sequence where Shah Rukh Khan and actor Markand Deshpande travel through the Indian countryside.
He recalled how music composer AR Rahman and director Ashutosh Gowariker called him to record the song, "I got a call from Rahman (sahab)'s office and Ashutosh Gowariker ji unhone kaha aapne 'Lagaan' film songs isme bhi gaayiye.. So the songs were recorded and the song was so beautiful. Kailash Kher and Hariharan were also part of the song but gave voice for the hero, Shah Rukh Khan.."
As per the official synopsis, Swades is a movie about a NASA scientist who returns to his homeland to find the nanny who raised him, intending to bring her back to America. His journey leads him into the rural heart of India, to the village of Charanpur, and sets him on both an outward and inner quest to find where he truly belongs.
On June 25, taking to their X handle, Axiom Space shared the Launch Day Playlist of the Axiom Mission 4 crew. Commander Peggy Whitson has named 'Thunder' by Imagine Dragons her go-to song.
https://x.com/Axiom_Space/status/1937759028991475785
Axiom 4 mission aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft successfully docked at the International Space Station on Thursday. The Dragon spacecraft was ahead of schedule, autonomously docking at 4:05 pm (IST) to the space-facing port of the space station's Harmony module.
NASA Flight Engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers monitored Dragon's automated approach and docking manoeuvres. The Ax-4 crew will be welcomed by the seven-member Expedition 73 team and will now take part in a safety briefing.
Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, ESA (European Space Agency) astronauts Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary lifted off at Noon IST on June 25, on the SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
Earlier, in a live interaction from aboard the spacecraft, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, serving as the mission pilot, described the launch as "magical" and reflected on his journey.
"I am thrilled to be here with my fellow astronauts--what a ride it was. Honestly, as I sat in the capsule 'Grace' on the launchpad yesterday after 30 days of quarantine, all I could think was: just go. When the launch finally happened, it was something else entirely. You're pushed back into the seat--and then suddenly, there's silence. You're just floating in the vacuum, and it's magical," Shukla said.
He expressed gratitude to the mission team, calling the experience a "collective achievement."
"I truly appreciate the efforts of every individual who made this journey possible. It's not just a personal accomplishment--it belongs to all of us," he said.
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre at noon IST on Wednesday with Shukla, Whitson, Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Kapu onboard.