Rocketry
Tamil/Hindi (Theatres)
Director: R Madhavan
Cast: R Madhavan, Suriya, Simran
Rating: 2/5
Throughout its almost-three-hour runtime, ‘Rocketry’ keeps reminding us that Nambi Narayanan “is the man”. And he is “a dangerous man”. The Russians fear him, the French admire him and the Americans spy on him.
Agreed it’s a hagiography, but the Isro scientist — arrested in an espionage case in 1994, then exonerated by the CBI and later given a clean chit by the Supreme Court in 1998 — is propelled to ridiculous heights of reverence in the name of cinematic liberty.
The story had to be told, no doubt. But ‘Rocketry’ just orbits around the eccentric aerospace engineer who sees liquid propulsion even while making an omelette. Wish the film got to the bottom of the mystery rather than just scratching the surface of Vikas — India’s cryogenic rocket engine.
Anyone who read the papers in late 90s in Kerala vividly remembers the Isro case, with reams written about the “traitor” who sold secrets to Pakistan after falling into a honeytrap. Surprisingly, Madhavan (the hero, who also manages most of the departments here) doesn’t go into the whys and hows of the scandal.
The unwavering focus on “the man” reduces the movie into a mere show where an interviewer (Suriya in Tamil, Shah Rukh Khan in the Hindi version) and the entire crew break into a tear-wiping exercise after Nambi recalls his tragedy on live TV.
The police case, third-degree torture and subsequent unrest in family are more relatable than the amateurish first half, where the hero flies to Princeton University on a scholarship and charms the entire class, the professor and the professor’s wife too. A while later, Nambi learns hydraulics from the Rolls Royce CEO. Next, he does a James Bond — fleeing with rocket engine parts along the snowy terrains of the erstwhile Soviet Union with the Americans in hot pursuit. Phew!
A more imaginative direction would have given more legitimacy to the drama. But when the whole effort is on the traitor-to-patriot narration, jargons and jingoism are all we get. And the real footage of a Padma Bhushan ceremony at the end with the current prime minister in attendance.