Walk through the doors of the Nehru Planetarium, Worli, and the slightly annoyed visage of a Florentine scientist greets you. Galileo Galilei is at the heart of the iconic Planetarium’s reset plans post-pandemic. Aptly so, for planetarium director, Arvind Paranjpye, is a self-confessed fan of the 16th century astronomer and holds him in high regard.

On April 30, the planetarium reopened its doors to visitors for regular shows following the hiatus of a two-year long pandemic. We walk through the entrance experiencing the buzz of excited children bombarding tired parents with questions as they wait for the show to start. Paranjpye believes this enthusiasm has to be nurtured. “Here, we tell children you must ask questions. We also tell them, if we don’t know the answer, we will find out and get back to you.”