Story: Based on the life of one of India’s pioneering rocket scientists Nambi Narayanan,

this biography chronicles his achievements, mad passion for the country's space mission,
his unmatched dedication and the accusation that eventually became the biggest personal
and professional setback of his life.

Review: The eventful life of Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) leading scientist
and Padma Bhushan awardee Nambi Narayanan is so full of ups and downs that one
wonders why it took so long for someone to come up with a full-fledged feature film on
him. While it was attempted by a few, R Madhavan’s directorial debut that he also wrote
and co-produced, finally saw the light of day. The film plays out in flashback as Nambi
Narayanan (R Madhavan) narrates his life story to superstar Shah Rukh Khan in 2014. The
crew filming this mammoth interview is cursing their luck for being stuck in the studio late
at night for a ‘long and boring’ story of an old scientist. However, as Nambi begins talking,
everyone including the host are riveted to his story.

The challenge to keep a regular, non-scientific audience with it while exploring ‘solid and liquid
states’, the correct pressure that is required to be the right propellant, the details of the space
programmes in Russia and France, is evident in the way things are incorporated in the script, with
an emphasis on keeping everything light and understandable.

R Madhavan relives Nambi Narayanan’s real life in reel with full conviction. From his make-
up to dialogue delivery and expression, Madhavan becomes the man whose story he tells.
Shah Rukh Khan looks dapper as ever and uses his trademark charm to play the role of an
interviewer with a heart. He mirrors the conscience of a nation for a man, who dedicated
his life to a cause against all odds. Simran is a surprise package as the sensitive and
dignified Meena Narayanan. Simran’s portrayal goes a long way in humanising Nambi’s
passion for his work and the hardships he endures. Among the supporting actors, Sam
Mohan stands out as Unni, whose character is a lot more fleshed out than others.

While Nambi’s work life is exciting and fraught with challenges, it is also way too technical
and Madhavan doesn’t shy away from throwing complex astronomy terms and jargons at
the audience. The entire first half is spent in showing various facets of Nambi’s slightly
eccentric personality and astral experiments where the very animated background score
acts as a pointer for us to root for our protagonist. At times, the context is lost in
technicalities and we’re forced to focus on the big picture. The non-linear execution is
exciting and generates anticipation but also adds to the confusion

Madhavan dutifully covers every aspect of Nambi’s journey, especially his professional
feats and challenges. Nambi’s mentor is none other than the prolific Vikram Sarabhai (Rajit
Kapoor), who knows his prodigy only too well. When Nambi gets a full scholarship from
Princeton University, he takes it up despite the obvious mismatch in what he is offered
and what he wants to study. But not the one to toe the line, Nambi finds a way to not only
learn what he wants but also be the best at it. So much so that he is offered a job by NASA
but he chooses to work for ISRO instead and do whatever it takes to propel India’s space
mission.
The second half is much stronger and emotionally draining but the film’s pace remains
slow. It’s no rocket science that this one’s a niche film. It has an interesting subject and
an untold story of a man, who was wronged for always being right for his nation. ‘Rocketry’
takes off well, hits some turbulence on the way, but eventually soars high with real
characters and moving moments that make it worth your while.