'Rocketry' movie review: R Madhavan narrates a compelling story of a maverick patriot
R Madhavan in 'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect'
Former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan's life makes for great cinema. He is faced the highest of highs and lowest of lows in his lifetime. Worked in his career with stalwarts and pioneers of space research in the world, a brilliant mind who was leading India's rocket program but was rudely removed from the mission slapped with espionage charges - Nambu Narayanan's life has been anything but ordinary. R Madhavan's directorial debut 'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect' not only talks in detail about Nayaranan's fight to get justice but also highlights the man's passion for science and his love for the nation.
The film opens sometime in 2014 when Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is seen interviewing the Nambi Narayanan (Madhavan) in a studio. We are told ISRO has successfully sent its first satellite to Mars and Khan sits down with Narayanan to reminiscence on the years of struggle that ISRO went through before it tasted success.
The film then travels back in time and showcases Narayanan's zeal to dream big and achieve the impossible. From securing a seat in the PhD programme at Princeton but not in his preferred choice of subject, to convincing his dream professor to teach him and eventually landing a job at NASA within a year only to refuse it to join back his mentor Dr Vikram Sarabhai to help him with India's space program at ISRO- Narayanan was a true patriot and a go-getter who made the impossible possible.
The film also subtly highlights how the scientist put the interest of his country first before anything else. Some called him mad, some brash and selfish, but Narayanan was focused to make India a pioneer in space programmes.
The film beautifully weaves in important chapters of history with the story of the main protagonist and narrates a story of an individual who never bowed down- despite the odds against him.
While the story is an important one, Madhavan, who also serves as a writer for the film, uses several technical jargons that can be hard to understand. It's a science-heavy film, which is not bad, but the film's narrative is not for the layman. We have often rued about the fact that how Indian cinema dumbs down science when it makes films in this genre. Madhavan's film instead is science-heavy- full of technical terms which demand your attention lest you lose track of what the protagonists are talking about. I watched the Hindi version which is spruced with English dialogues owing to a sizeable non-Indian cast. The film naturally, then, caters to a niche audience.
While R Madhavan is the star of the show, the scene-stealer is actress Simran who plays Meena Nambi, his on-screen wife in the film. Her scenes are limited but she outshines everyone else when is in the frame. It's great to watch Simran and Maddy in a film together after ages- both great performers. There is also Sam Mohan in a pivotal character who helps Narayanan when everyone else turns their back on him.
Some of the scenes are gut-wrenching. The moments where the family is shunned after Narayanan is falsely accussed of trading top secrets of the country with Pakistan are well written and performed. How the family of five had to undergo years of humiliation for no fault of their and how they fought for justice is sensitively portrayed. Simran shines in a scene where she breaks down as her husband returns home after spending 50 days in jail.
I had a problem with the film's length and the usage of technical terms in the film. But these can be easily overlooked for the story which is an important one and needed to be told.
The film makes you think. As Narayanan, who appears at the fag end of the film himself, points out that there are so many more people like him who have been falsely implicated in cases and are still fighting for justice, locked in some jail.
Madhavan makes an earnest effort to tell an important story about a man who put his country first and how he was let down despite his undying love for the nation. Without taking sides, the film subtly shows the flipside of being too passionate about work which often costs a family its happiness and peace. 'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect' is out in theatres this Friday.
