People will flock to movie theatres to see the narrative of the life of an iconic, well-known figure in film history.
As long as your narrative and execution keep everyone riveted to your tale of an underdog, you’ve won. Nambi Narayanan, a pioneering space scientist, is the subject of R Madhavan’s Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, a biopic that has yet to be shown on the big screen, despite the fact that it has a lot to say.
When you see Madhavan’s depiction of Nambi Narayanan on screen for the first time, it’s hard not to notice the effort that went into making it as authentic as possible.
After a broad view of the universe, The Nambi Effect lands us in Trivandrum, where we meet Nambi Narayanan’s family.
When Nambi is arrested on espionage accusations while everyone is having a lovely time over lunch, everything falls apart.
Nambi’s wife is humiliated at a wedding she was attending, his daughter sits helpless in the middle of the road as someone pours manure in her face, his son is beaten up, and his son-in-law is attacked—painful sights to see.
That’s when you realize it wasn’t just one individual who was victimized; it was a whole family.
An old Nambi is depicted in discussion with Shah Rukh Khan (playing himself) as he reminisces about his past tribulations, which are portrayed in flashback.
An ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) scientist who puts his country and research above all else is chronicled in the book “Rocketry,” which tells the story of his personal and professional struggles as a result of corrupt authorities.
While still a young scientist, Nambi successfully negotiates lucrative partnerships outside of India for his department and India’s Mars Mission. Even though Madhavan has done everything from getting a scholarship to Princeton to persuading the CEO of Rolls-Royce to sell India his technology at a low price to assembling a team of 52 scientists to gain technical know-how from the French, he does it all with charm and conviction.
First-half technical and scientific language makes it difficult to follow the plot and makes the movie seem excessively serious.
When it comes to the validity of his narrative, Madhavan has no reservations whatsoever. While the language barrier may be a drawback for those who aren’t fluent in the target language, the conversations add a great deal of realism to the story.
Also, Indian scientists have some fun at the expense of the people they meet while traveling throughout the world.
To put it another way, it is the second half of the film that is the most exciting and engaging.
It depicts Nambi’s incarceration and subsequent torture in exchange for a fabricated confession that he had sold rocket technology secrets to Pakistan.
I’d prefer if the story focused more on revealing who harmed him and why, but that’s a subject that’s left unsolved until the conclusion.
As a result, you feel as if you’re a part of Nambi’s journey as he rises to the top and falls to the bottom, as well as when he shows his patriotism via his acts and words.
To describe Madhavan as “one-man army” is not an exaggeration. He puts on a tremendous performance both in front of and behind the camera.”
This biopic deserves a round of praise for the amount of effort he put into it.
As a director, he approaches the material with honesty and empathy, and as an actor, he gives it all he has to the role. He’s taken up all of Nambi’s quirks like a pro.
The fact that he is physically appealing contributes to the overall effect of creating a convincing persona.
When Madhavan is arguing with Khan and we get a close-up image of his face, it changes to the genuine Nambi Narayanan.
You don’t even notice that it’s a different individual for a single second. On film, it was how the real Madhavan appeared.
Nambi’s wife Meena is played by actress Simran, who makes an impression in the short glimpses we see of her.
As the CBI investigating officer PM Nayar, Sam Mohan as Unni, Rajeev Ravindranathan as Param, Bhawsheel as Sartaj, and others are added to the plot.
The film’s high point is Shah Rukh Khan’s performance as the interviewer who reveals details about Nambi’s life.
During the interview, his facial expressions and absolute immersion in Nambi’s narrative don’t appear like they belong in a movie.
Moreover, Madhavan deserves full credit for finding such an inspirational narrative and portraying it in such a compelling manner that even King Khan sheds a tear at the end.
The film’s running time of 157 minutes might have been cut in half if the editing had been tighter, particularly in the first half.
You can’t really complain about the length of time it takes to tell certain tales using Rocketry.
Rocketry: The Nambi Effect may not be considered a commercially viable picture, but it’s time for you to let go of these preconceptions since this film is worth your time and money.
It gives you a deeper understanding of your own country and illuminates the unsung sacrifices made by those who devoted their lives only to serving their country.
