10 September,2026 04:44 PM IST | Mumbai | Rumani Gabhare
The cast of Star Trek: The Original Series on the bridge of the USS Enterprise in the series, which premiered in 1966. Pics courtesy/Startrek.co, Wikimedia Commons
A familiar future
For a show made decades ago, Star Trek was remarkably forward-thinking, asking questions about people, logic, morality and authority. Spock fascinated me because of the tension between logic and emotion. Even the Kobayashi Maru test reflects the show's willingness to challenge conventional thinking.
It is deliberately unwinnable, designed to make candidates fail and reveal how they respond when there is no right answer. Captain Kirk famously refuses to accept that premise. He hacks the simulation, changes the rules and passes. That, for me, captures what Star Trek did so well: it was never simply about exploring space.
Aditya Kshirsagar, 37, psychology researcher, Malad
Commander Spock. For the iconic theme track by Alexander Courage
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The Star Trek effect
My introduction to Star Trek was thanks to The Big Bang Theory, but what fascinated me was how the franchise seemed to understand the future long before we got there.
Its vision of communicators, advanced computers, space travel and even, ideas around Artificial Intelligence made science fiction feel less like fantasy and more like a preview of what technology could become. From Spock's distinctive logic to the moral dilemmas faced by the crew, Star Trek made the future feel populated by ideas, not just gadgets. That is what makes it endlessly interesting to revisit.
Adam Yusuf, 31, cosplay artist, Ulwe
The name Enterprise has a real-world connection. Gene Roddenberry (right) chose it partly because he admired the USS Enterprise, which played a significant role in the Battle of Midway. When NASA prepared to unveil its first space shuttle in 1976, fans campaigned for the same name, and then US President Gerald Ford agreed.
The communicator which was used to transmit voices and locate crew members inspired mobile-phone pioneer Martin Cooper (above) in developing the modern cell phone.
Nichelle Nichols, who played Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, later worked with NASA on astronaut recruitment, helping increase applications from women and underrepresented groups.
Star Trek first arrived on Indian television in 1984, when Doordarshan aired the original series. Its influence soon inspired shows such as Space City Sigma (1989) and Captain Vyom (1998), bringing their homegrown take on space exploration to Indian audiences.
Long before Adil Hussain (above) played Aditya Sahil in Star Trek: Discovery, Mumbai-born actress and former Miss India Persis Khambatta played Lieutenant Ilia in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), and former Indian tennis player Vijay Amritraj appeared as Captain Joel Randolph in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986).
Captain Kirk (right) wasn't the Enterprise's original captain. The Cage, the first pilot, starred Jeffrey Hunter as Captain Christopher Pike. After NBC rejected it, William Shatner was cast as Kirk, while Leonard Nimoy returned as Spock.
Information courtesy/Startrek.com
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