Aayush Sharma
Netflix’s ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha‘ is a Hindi-language espionage thriller series that chronicles the journey of an Indian intelligence officer trying to stop a situation that could lead to a nuclear war. The story follows Vishnu Shankar (Pratik Gandhi), who is working as a junior intelligence officer in the Indian Intelligence Services. Everything changes for him when he is unable to stop a terrible incident that takes the life of a renowned physicist. However, his life moves on, and he is now working for the Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW), the official intelligence agency in India. As his story progresses, he realizes that Pakistan is going to work on building a nuclear facility after signing the Shimla Agreement in 1972. Now, it is up to him and R&AW to stop the nation from doing so. While working on the case, he unravels a lot of dark secrets as he delves deeper into the world of covert operations. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Saare Jahan Se Accha Recap
The series begins with Vishnu Shankar listening to a radio interview in which the Indian nuclear physicist, Homi Jehangir Bhabha, says India should look to become an atomic power. Right after the interview, the Americans get worried because they think India might build a nuclear facility. In the meantime, Vishnu realizes something is wrong, and the US is onto something. He gets to know about a spy working for the CIA and enters her home. He decodes the Morse code, which reads, “Mushroom Rabbit to be served in Vienna on January 24.“ While trying to know more about the decoded message, he discovers clues that point toward a larger conspiracy. In the end, the intelligence officer realizes that the CIA might be planning to kill Homi Bhabha on his flight to Geneva. Yet, before they can stop the nuclear physicist from boarding the flight, a bomb explodes, and the plane crashes in the Alps.
In the aftermath, the officer feels guilty about not being able to stop Homi from boarding the flight. In 1968, India establishes its foreign intelligence agency, Research & Analysis Wing, aka R&AW, and Vishnu starts working there under the leadership of RN Kao (Rajat Kapoor). After the 1971 war, India and Pakistan sign the Shimla Agreement, but Pakistan’s PM vows to avenge the humiliating defeat by turning the nation into a nuclear power. As a result, he begins gathering the brightest minds in that field to collaborate and achieve that dream. However, they need money to do so, and most countries don’t want to associate themselves with the nation. As India gets to know about what Pakistan is doing, the intelligence officer briefs Kao on what’s happening and tells him that he needs to go there to stop Pakistan from creating a nuclear facility. Kao sends Vishnu and his wife to Islamabad to work at the Indian High Commission. Secretly, Vishnu’s real work is to stop Pakistan.
As the Indian officer begins his journey, ISI chief Murtaza Malik (Sunny Hinduja) takes on the task of eliminating all undercover agents in Pakistan who might try to sabotage the construction of the nuclear facility. Meanwhile, with the help of his undercover agents, Vishnu tries to get more and more information about what’s happening. Two of his most significant assets are Rafiq, a broker at the Karachi Stock Exchange, and Brigadier Naushad (Anup Soni), a Pakistani soldier working for India. As things move forward, Vishnu realizes that Pakistan is not building a nuclear facility, but buying one, which makes his work even harder. But they must stop them before they can procure the consignment from a French-based company. By the end of the series, the situation prompts Vishnu to take matters into his own hands and do everything and anything to stop India’s neighboring country from acquiring the material.
Saare Jahan Se Accha: Did Sukhbir Die?
Although the story primarily focuses on Vishnu, there are a couple of characters whose stories are equally intriguing, and one of them is Sukhbir (Suhail Nayyar). Recruited by the officer mentioned above, he works as a broker at the Karachi Stock Exchange and goes by the name of Rafiq. When Vishnu arrives in Pakistan, he talks to him on the phone and makes him understand that the upcoming mission is going to be important, and that’s why he needs to be really careful about it. After putting the phone down, two soldiers enter Sukhbir’s office with a girl. One of the officers is Rizwan Ahmed Chaudhry, who comes to his office to introduce his friend to Sukhbir so that he can learn more about financial bonds. Meanwhile, the girl with them is Naseem, who is Rizwan’s relative and is in a relationship with the financial broker. As Vishnu continues his mission, he realizes that a bank named BFCI is helping Pakistan trade funds, and to know more about them, he must check their ledgers.
As a result, Vishnu calls Sukhbir and tells him to find a way to reach Parizad Haider, who is heading the Islamabad branch of the BFCI. To find a connection, the broker calls Rizwan and asks him about meeting Parizad to get hold of the ledgers for import-export stuff. Moreover, he says that he is ready to pay for this world. Rizwan says yes to the meeting and calls him to a party where he can meet Parizad. However, he freezes when he realizes that the ISI chief, Murtaza Malik, is present there, and he could be a big problem for him. So, he leaves the party without meeting Parizad. The following day, he meets Rizwan and admits that he never paid taxes correctly, so he couldn’t gather the courage to stand in front of Murtaza because he fears being caught and exposed. Rizwan believes him and tells him that Parizad will give the ledgers.
The deal is through, and Sukhbir passes the ledgers to Vishnu and his team. Through the ledgers, they find that a man named Bilal is making huge transactions to someone’s account under the name of shell companies. Elsewhere, Murtaza meets Parizad and tells him to be on his toes because things could go wrong anytime. By hearing this, Parizad calls Rizwan and asks him about the bonds. As a result, Rizwan calls Sukhbir to his house and asks him why he needs those bonds. He alleges that Sukhbir is a spy and tries to call Murtaza. However, before he can do that, Sukhbir kills Rizwan and calls one of his colleagues to bug his house with a Morse code translating machine. As a result, the ISI believes that Rizwan was a spy. Sukhbir is angry at what he has done and lashes out at Vishnu for making him a killer. Vishnu promises that he will take him out of this mess and promises him a new life after this mission.
When Vishnu finds out the exact plan and date of the consignment’s arrival, he, Sukhbir, and three other men plan to stop the consignment from leaving the Gadani Ship Breaking Yard. They find an underground tunnel and plant explosives there. They will blast the explosives as soon as the trucks go over the tunnel and destroy the parts of the nuclear reactor. However, a few police guards catch them, and they change their plan. After killing the guards, three group members wear the guards’ uniforms, and Vishnu says they will have to attack the ship, which consists of the material needed for a nuclear reactor. Meanwhile, Sukhbir tells him that if the trio fails, he’d fill a boat with explosives and crash the boat into the ship. As Pakistani forces kill the trio, Sukhbir crashes the boat into the ship and destroys the consignment. Sukhbir lays down his life without hesitation, knowing it is the only way to protect his nation from a looming threat. His sacrifice becomes a silent testament to the courage and selflessness that duty demands.
Is Pakistan Able to Make a Nuclear Facility?
The entire premise of ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha‘ revolves around Pakistan trying to become a nuclear power. After losing the 1971 war, Pakistan wants to show that it is a capable nation and better than India. So, they stitch a plan to build a nuclear facility and want to guard this information. The Prime Minister of Pakistan asks for help from different economies, but they have refused to give them the desired money. All the scientists and nuclear physicists believe they need the money for this program, or the situation will worsen for the country. They finally get the money from Libya. The country’s government gives them $20 million for the program, and Pakistan begins its journey. Meanwhile, one of India’s assets, Brigadier Naushad, manages to get hold of the papers showcasing what Pakistan is doing.
When Vishnu sees the photos of the papers Naushad saw, he realizes that Pakistan is not making a nuclear facility, but smuggling one. They will use the neutralized plutonium from the nuclear reactor and convert it into weapon-grade plutonium. On the other hand, the BFCI ledgers indicate that a Pakistani agent, Bilal, is making transactions through the bank’s Paris branch. As a result, an undercover agent named Vikram and his team break into the bank and get the ledgers. The ledgers confirm that all the money goes to HGN, a French company specializing in nuclear engineering and manufacturing. But they still don’t know when the nuclear reactor will arrive in Pakistan. To know more, Vikram and his team abduct Bilal from his hotel in Paris, torturing him so that he gives more information about their plan. However, they use Bilal’s son in Pakistan as bait to gather information from him. Bilal tells the Indian agent that Pakistan is giving $50 million to HGN for a nuclear reactor and fission data.
Bilal’s work was to place bulk orders of arms to let international communities know they have a lot of money. Moreover, they are shipping the hardware for the nuclear reactor to Pakistan. Elsewhere in the latter country, Murtaza Malik devises an elaborate plan to transport the consignment to a secure facility after it reaches the country. However, Vishnu and his team learn about the plan and decide to destroy the nuclear reactor, leaving the nation in a state of disarray. When their initial plan fails, Sukhbir sacrifices to complete the mission and annihilate the nuclear reactor. In the end, Pakistan fails to assemble the atomic reactor, and its ambitions of becoming a nuclear power lie in ruins. The destroyed consignment not only marks the collapse of their secret mission, but it also ends their dream of defeating India. Years of planning, covert deals, and dangerous gambits vanish instantly. For Vishnu and his team, it’s a hard-won victory that comes at a steep cost but ensures the nation’s safety.
Did Fatima Help India Complete the Mission?
Vishnu and his team need all the help they can muster to complete this mission. They need someone inside the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) to gather important information about the nuclear program. As a result, they try recruiting Fatima Khan (Kritika Kamra), the editor-in-chief of Haqeeqat Newspaper, who writes against her government and doesn’t want the nation to have a nuclear facility. However, that’s not the only reason the Indian intelligence officer wants her. Fatima is not just a journalist, but also a relative of Munir Khan, who is a nuclear physicist and a member of the PAEC. Initially, he gains her trust by saying that Pakistan and India don’t need a nuclear facility. Meanwhile, in their second meeting, he tells her everything about himself and how he works for the R&AW. Vishnu makes it clear that he needs her help to stop Pakistan from building a nuclear reactor. Moreover, he assures her that India is not planning to build a nuclear facility.
Fatima doesn’t give him an answer, but Vishnu wants her on his side at any cost. So, he asks her to post a wedding advertisement in the paper, and he’ll get an idea that she is on their side. To make her say yes, Vishnu tells Sukhbir to do a fake income tax raid so that she can join them. Sukhbir tells one of his men to raid the office of Haqeeqat and make her realize how she cannot write against the government or that something terrible could happen to her. Ultimately, she prints the wedding advertisement and lets the Indians know that she is with them. When they get the information about the nuclear reactor from Bilal, they don’t know the exact date of the consignment’s arrival, making it harder to plan their move. As a result, they need Fatima’s help to know the date. Sukhbir gives her a pen that can record audio; all she needs to do is print an article that would force Munir to call her to his office.
Fatima writes the article about how Pakistan could do anything and everything to become a nuclear power. Munir reads it and calls Fatima, telling her to retract her article. While talking, she manages to put the recorder pen in the pen stand after pressing the record button. Now, Vishnu and his team could hear every conversation happening in Munir’s office. When the journalist writes another scathing article about the same, Murtaza confronts Munir and tells him to keep his mouth shut. The nuclear physicists ask the ISI chief about all security lapses happening because of him, which worries him about whether the consignment will reach on May 15. As a result, Fatima helps them to know the arrival date of the nuclear reactor. She risks everything to pass on the crucial date, knowing it could change the course of events. Her decision is not just about aiding India, it’s about standing up for what’s right, even when it puts her life in danger. In a world built on fear and secrecy, her courage becomes a quiet act of defiance.
Who Helps Pakistan Get a Nuclear Reactor?
When Pakistan hopes to beat India in becoming a nuclear power, it goes to several countries for monetary help. However, no one helps them, making the Prime Minister angry. However, Libya and its leader promised to help Pakistan by giving $20 million for their program. However, this money won’t be sufficient for establishing a nuclear facility. As a result, the ISI plans to create a narrative that Pakistan has a lot of funds, because of which countries want to have ties with it. Meanwhile, Bilal, who works for ISI, meets arms dealers in Paris, France, making millions of payments through BFCI Bank. After checking the ledgers of the bank, Vishnu and his team realize that Bilal is using shell companies to make payments worth millions to one company. It turns out that the company is HGN, a France-based company that deals in nuclear technology and makes atomic reactors.
Reports confirm that Pakistan has paid the company $50 million for the reactor and fission data. To transport the atomic reactor components, the company uses Oceanic Shipments to send the material to Pakistan’s Gadani Ship Breaking Yard. With Libya’s money and HGN’s advanced nuclear technology, the nation mentioned above finally finds the means to move forward with its nuclear ambitions. The deal with the French company secures a reactor and valuable fission data, giving the program a massive boost. Despite having so much help, Pakistan couldn’t make the nuclear reactor because of Vishnu and his team. For India, this mission is not just about holding Pakistan back; it’s about preventing a future where every terrorist organization in the Middle East could gain access to nuclear weapons, endangering the entire world.
