Shah Rukh Khan's Swades project launched by NASA

SRK played a NASA scientist in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Swades where he was handling a rainfall monitoring project called Global Precipitation Measurement. Now, 10 years later, the actual project has been launched by NASA.

Way back in 2004,

Swades-starring-Shah-Rukh-Khan-and-Gayatri-Joshi-showcased-myriad-colours-of-India

Shah Rukh Khan

played the role of an NRI, Mohan Bhargava, who works as a project manager at NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).

In the film — Ashutosh Gowariker’s Swades —

SRK

was handling a rainfall monitoring project at NASA called Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM). Now, 10 years later, the actual project has been launched.

Director-producer Gowariker, who recently heard the news, is clearly thrilled.

"I am very happy to hear that they have actually launched GPM now. I have full admiration for NASA and I feel extremely proud of all the Indian scientists working there," he says, adding, "I wanted to juxtapose that level of technology and innovation with the very basic life that we in India are leading."

During the making of

Swades

, he had to take permission from NASA to use the name of the project. The makers even had to share the film’s script with the administration for a detailed review.

Not many know that

Swades

was the first Indian film to be shot inside the NASA research centre at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA.

A statement about the launch on the NASA website says, "The GPM mission data will advance our understanding of the water and energy cycles and extend the use of precipitation data to directly benefit society."