Inside a research lab or aerospace, the plant is not where rocketry begins. The film begins with a stylish image of Nambi Narayanan’s (Madhavan) Trivandrum home, where the entire family is making ready for a wedding. Meena claims that they haven’t attended a similar event together in a very long time (Simran). Each one is ecstatic.
As expected, Nambi is arrested, thus things do not go as planned. But why would the police be looking for an ISRO scientist who has made significant contributions to the country’s science and technology sector?
The story of Nambi Narayanan’s stellar career as an ISRO scientist is told in the book Rocketry, along with how he was treated after a false espionage accusation was brought against him. Madhavan deserves kudos for choosing an obscure subject and, more crucially, for not diluting it by including “filmi” aspects.
However, good intentions alone do not guarantee a successful movie. Since this is Madhavan’s first time directing, it’s to his advantage that he has a wealth of material to work with. Biopics are generally easier to handle than fictitious subjects. It was important to select the significant moments in Nambi’s dramatic life, and Madhavan made the best choices. But when it’s made into a movie, it still has the feel of a missile that went astray.
With numerous jargon that few people may be familiar with, the first half reads like an extended science lesson. In these sections, the movie lacks flavor and seems more like a collection of scenes showcasing Nambi’s achievements in science.
There are numerous situations in this film that can be summarised as “Nambi is a genius” and nothing else. The fact that the subject required a lot of foreign actors—Nambi studied at Princeton—who are generally lacking in both acting ability and line delivery, further makes matters worse. In fact, there are some inadvertently humorous dialogues in the Tamil version of the movie that really stands out.
Rocketry begins to feel more like a movie in the second half, like a missile that has been abruptly galvanized into motion. Sharper dialogue is being used. The acting talents of Madhavan, who come to life in the scenes depicting Nambi’s earlier years, are more than makeup for the ordinary directing abilities of Madhavan.
Some of these scenes are masterfully performed by the actor, especially those that come after his torture in custody. My favorite scene is him being served tea by a government official after he has been traumatized through no fault of his own. Madhavan’s hands tremble, his fingers tremble, and his lips quiver in this scene. It captures a battered man just right.
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Karthik Kumar, who plays a CBI agent, Simran, who plays Nambi’s wife and experiences a lot during this tumultuous voyage, and Suriya, who makes a brief cameo as an interviewer, all provide excellent small performances as well.
The movie also deals with choices, and one wished that it had done so in greater detail. In an allegedly moving scene, Nambi must decide between a highly sought-after, well-paying career abroad and an entry-level position in India. A joke that one of the protagonists carelessly cracks dissolves what might have become a scene with weight.
Similar to this, Nambi must make a decision regarding one of his important team members in another circumstance, but the subsequent events lack the necessary emotional impact. During those moments, Sirsha Ray’s cinematography and Sam CS’s music keep us interested.
Without a doubt, the audience needs to hear the story of Rocketry. Behind that idea, though, lies a film that only occasionally clicks and is frequently clunky. A character in the movie makes the observation that scientists are odd people. Perhaps Rocketry is that odd movie that continues flitting between reality and feeling without leaving a recognizable impression.
