Rocketry: How Madhavan’s new film on Nambi Narayanan is both gripping and thought-provoking

Nations that cannot protect their brightest minds are doomed to fail. The very character of a nation is reflected by the way it harnesses its heroes. The film, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, is a clear example of how a resource- and vision-starved nation couldn’t protect its visionary. It is the tale of a legend who dared to dream, dared to give up the most lucrative job, dared to challenge stereotypes, and most of all dared to challenge the system for its betterment. The legend had a vision to see Bharat at the zenith of space technology and research in the world and he worked his heart out for it. What he got in return were false accusations, police thrashing, public antagonism and a broken family. [caption id=“attachment_10874441” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Poster of the movie, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect. Facebook/prajeshsen[/caption] The film is a tale of Nambi Narayanan, an aerospace engineer and an ISRO scientist. It explores the various dimensions of his life. From being a genius scientist to being a self-centred individual, and from getting a fellowship at NASA to choosing the welfare of the country over foreign land, the movie traverses through different time zones in his life. The storytelling revolves around different chapters in the life of Nambi Narayanan. His expeditions as a scientist with breakthrough discoveries have been remarkably captured in the movie. His plans for acquiring knowledge of technology from different nations using strategic contracts and alliances have also been wonderfully depicted. His sharpness and focus is a thing to marvel at. Most of the incidents in the movie are  derived from real-life happenings of Nambi Narayanan . [caption id=“attachment_10874451” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] File image of Nambi Narayanan. Wikimedia Commons/ Vicharam[/caption] The first half of the movie majorly deals with his scientific expeditions with one or two scenes of his interaction with his wife. Apart from his scientific and patriotic persona, the film is an honest depiction of his character: In a scene, for instance, where he doesn’t reveal the death of a colleague’s son to him in order to complete the mission, one wonders about the very thin line between right and wrong. This has proved the brilliance of R Madhavan as a director — very few have succeeded in making good biopics not just here in our country but globally too. [caption id=“attachment_10874471” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Nambi Narayanan with R Madhavan. Instagram/actormaddy[/caption] The second half is gripping, thought-provoking and gut-wrenching. It addresses multiple issues we face as a nation. The issues of brain drain, framing of scientists, corrupt government institutions, hollow public perception and delayed justice are all highlighted explicitly in the movie. One leaves the theatre with a sense of despair at how as a nation we don’t protect the patriots but fall prey to false propaganda unleashed by the enemy. The same thing is true even today. The movie leaves everyone with a thought of how the foreign forces provide roadblocks to our growth in multiple fields. There are many scenes by the end of the movie which leave the audience teary-eyed. The scene of unnecessary framing of Nambi Narayanan, the scene of mental collapse of his wife, and the scene where he and his wife are thrown out an autorickshaw are gut-wrenching. The movie closes with a comparative shot of how he is riding a scooty while his contemporary scientist is enjoying all the luxuries of NASA. The scene leaves everyone wanting for more. The movie also highlights in detail the framing of Nambi Narayan by a few people in the system. Very recently after the arrest of former IPS officer RB Sreekumar, Nambi Narayanan said “ I came to know that he (RB Sreekumar) was arrested for fabricating stories and trying to sensationalise them, there was a charge against him. That is exactly what he did in my case. ” The movie clearly explores the different people involved in his framing. It also traverses how he was exonerated by the Supreme Court and he is yet to receive the entire compensation amount. Rocketry is a must watch for its honest storytelling. In fact, it is a lesson for today’s generations on how not to treat our real heroes. The movie simply explains the most complex systems of aerospace and engages the audience at many levels. In the conversation between Nambi Narayanan and a character played by Shah Rukh Khan, the latter asks for forgiveness for what had happened to him. Nambi Narayanan refuses to accept the apology, but pardon him as well as the nation leaves everyone spellbound. Go, watch this movie. It’s worth your time and attention.  The writer is Executive CCO, VSK Mumbai, and Advisor, VESIM Literati Festival, Prabuddha Bharat Belagavi, Khajuraho Literature Festival. He tweets from @MODIfied_SKP. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .