Project Hail Mary producer reveals hidden Indian references in the film

April 10, 2026 - 6:00 PM IST

The Project Hail Mary continues to draw attention globally, not just for its scale and storytelling but also for subtle details embedded within the film. Producer Aditya Sood recently revealed that the film includes multiple understated references connected to India that many viewers may have missed.

Project Hail Mary producer reveals hidden Indian references in the film

During a visit to India, Sood spoke about these hidden elements, including a chess-related Easter egg. “Because India is a big chess-playing community, we have one really great, very subtle chess Easter egg in the movie that someone’s going to figure out at some point. There’s one chessboard in the movie, you have to look very carefully, and there’s a position in that chessboard that actually has real historical significance,” he said.

He also shared that directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller included a personal tribute to his family within the film. “They surprised me by writing my parents’ names into characters in the movie. The little girl who asks about the Petrova line is named Rekha, that’s my mom’s name. And a scientist character was named Narendra, after my dad,” Sood revealed. Although later edits altered the reference, a subtle nod remained. “They didn’t tell me this, but they put a little badge on his jacket that says ‘Dr. N. Sood.’ It was one of the very last visual effects they added. I didn’t tell my parents, and they were completely blown away when they saw it,” he added.

The film also includes other India-linked elements, including a spacesuit worn by Ryan Gosling featuring the Indian flag, a ‘Dhanyawaad’ poster inside the spaceship, and voice work by British-Indian actor Priya Kansara. Meanwhile, Project Hail Mary has performed strongly at the Indian box office, earning ₹53 crore within two weeks. It currently stands as the highest-grossing Hollywood release in India over the past four months and the top-performing sci-fi film in the country during this period.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Project Hail Mary producer Aditya Sood calls Dhurandhar The Revenge a “PHENOMENON”: “I am EXCITED to see it”; BREAKS silence on the IMAX controversy: “AMAZING that Indian audience made it clear that they wanted to see it”