‘Saare Jahan Se Accha’ is a Hindi-language series that follows the life of an Indian intelligence officer putting his life at risk to accomplish a mission for his country. The Netflix show tells the story of Vishnu Shankar, an intelligence officer, travelling to Pakistan and going undercover in a high-stakes operation where every move could mean the difference between completing his mission and losing his life. As the story progresses, he realizes that India’s neighboring country is trying to build a nuclear facility and is seeking help from other international communities. Initially, Vishnu and his team are not able to find out how Pakistan is acquiring the resources, forcing them to dig deeper into a web of covert deals. However, their research unravels a trail of suspicious transactions that lead them to HGN, a company based out of France. This has left everyone curious about whether the company exists in real life or is purely a creation of the show’s makers. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The HGN Mirrors a Real-Life Nuclear Engineering Firm
Although the series tells a fictional story, it takes much inspiration from real-life events. For example, the role of Vishnu Shankar is inspired by several real-life Indian undercover agents who risked everything to gather intelligence beyond enemy lines. However, one of the most pivotal plot points in the series occurs when Shankar learns how Pakistan is moving ahead with its nuclear program. Amid all the information, he realizes that the nation is not building a nuclear facility but procuring one instead, with the covert assistance of a French-based company named HGN. In reality, an honest company named Hyde Group Nuclear, also known as HGN, specializes in nuclear engineering and technology, but the production takes creative liberties with its portrayal.
The Hyde Group Limited, a UK-based company headquartered in Stalybridge, Cheshire, owns Hyde Group Nuclear (HGN) as one of its divisions. Founded in 2011, the HGN focuses on supporting several aspects of nuclear operations, handling projects related to legacy waste management, power generation, defense, and fusion technology. They dedicate most of their efforts to assisting the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s facilities and the Ministry of Defence, ensuring safe and efficient execution across these critical sectors. Moreover, the company uses its exposure from the manufacturing process and applies it in the nuclear environment. The company also works across all aspects of the UK nuclear industry and extends its support to different stages of nuclear projects, including new build, ongoing operations, and decommissioning efforts.
The HGN does have some similarities to the company shown in ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha.’ It might not be making a nuclear reactor, but it is responsible for creating gamma gates and shield doors, which are essential for radiation shielding in nuclear environments. Their work plays a vital role in ensuring safety within highly sensitive nuclear environments. This expertise makes them key to maintaining secure and efficient nuclear operations. In the narrative of ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha,’ the focus centers largely on the covert operations and the big corporations’ involvement in such sensitive matters. A similar approach was taken with the portrayal of HGN, where the company’s role becomes a crucial theme in the series. This perspective exposes the dark intersections between business and geopolitics, revealing hidden alliances that impact the struggles of the characters.
Despite many similarities between the two companies, the real HGN has no connection or direct link with the organization featured in ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha.’ Even though the series is a fictional tale, the makers knew what they were doing when they included HGN in the storyline. It adds a layer of authenticity to the series, making the plot feel grounded in reality despite its fictitious elements. Knowing that a company with a somewhat similar expertise actually exists helps viewers connect with the stakes involved in the mission. This viewpoint also emphasizes how real-world corporations can play a big part in international affairs, making Vishnu Shankar’s challenges feel all the more urgent and believable. Ultimately, it deepens the viewer’s engagement by blending fact with fiction in a compelling way.
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