Mission Mangal emphasizes the personal lives and diversity of its female scientists, but narrative focus is still mostly on India’s Mars mission. While there’s an obvious celebration of women’s competence, most characters face realistic obstacles, and their identity traits support rather than overpower the story. It doesn’t feel like the plot is hijacked by ideology, though the overt messaging can be a bit on the nose at times.

Traditional values like family, ambition, and patriotism are at the film's core. There is a push for female empowerment, but male characters are not consistently undermined or mocked. The story highlights workplace and family unity more than it seeks to subvert cultural foundations. Any subversion comes across as mild and generally in service of inspiration rather than cultural finger-wagging.

Alternative or more traditional perspectives, especially regarding gender roles, are mostly missing. The film promotes a fairly uniform vision of progress and modern Indian womanhood. That said, outright villainization is rare, and most characters, even those with more conservative leanings, are depicted as sincere, if slightly out of step. There’s some monoculture, but less overt hostility than in many Western productions.