R Madhavan on helming Rocketry: The Nambi Effect - Direction was not by choice, it was thrust upon me

R Madhavan has begun promoting his new biographical drama film, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022, and he has said that everything in the film is "totally factual."

As per ANI, Madhavan remarked that when it comes to finding a balance between fact and fantasy in the film, the cinematic liberties are kept to a bare minimum in this film. It's just a matter of combining time, space, and characters. Everything you see in the movie is 100% accurate and based on true events.

For this one, to be honest, Madhavan had to delete facts, things that actually happened, from the plot in order to make it realistic and Mr. Narayanan's story is very astounding. In fact, he believes that the one injustice that their film will do to Naryanan is that it will not cover half or more of the accomplishments that this remarkable man has accomplished in his brief lifespan.

After meeting Mr. Nambi Narayanan, Madhavan recognised that there was very little likelihood that anyone else would grasp his achievement because he was such a sophisticated rocket scientist.

Madhavan reflected on his greatest obstacle as a writer, saying that because it is rocketry, it requires individuals with a science education to comprehend the magnitude of his accomplishment. As a result, he made the decision to write it himself. And his greatest task was to make rocketry intelligible to the average person, and even if they didn't, they should appreciate the significance of his accomplishments. As a writer, that was his most difficult task.

Madhavan commented on his transformation into a producer for the much-anticipated film. He couldn't find anyone else who he could trust to make such a story as a producer. Everyone was looking at their market and their capacity to recoup their investment, so that wasn't going to work for this movie. They had to pay far more than the value of my market.

He did express his gratitude, though, to two of his collaborators who stuck with him through thick and thin while shooting the picture. The actor had two wonderful partners who stood by him during the COVID-19 era, even when he felt compelled to give it out on the OTT. As a result, Madhavan is quite grateful for their presence, and his investors have been exceptional.

Acting, of course, was something Madhavan had to do because, as an actor, he felt the inclination to portray Mr. Narayanan.

According to Madhavan, though, becoming a director was an unintended consequence. The decision to go in a certain direction was not made lightly; it was imposed on him. It was a spur-of-the-moment choice. The man who was intended to direct it was unable to do so due to unforeseen circumstances, and the actor was forced to step in because the alternative was to abandon the project or to rush into it without convictions or ideals. That's a four-year-old story, yet they're sitting here talking about a finished movie only days before its premiere. So they have been fortunate in that regard.

Madhavan offered an intriguing remark when asked about the film's release in three languages: Tamil, Hindi, and English. He was also questioned about why he wanted to spend so much money on the film. He intended to make the movie in Hindi, English, and Tamil. Many people believed that because Narayanan was a South Indian scientist, there was no need to make the film in English and in Hindi. The actors immediately realised they had no idea what the narrative was about. The reason he did it in English is that it is the most common language in which the film takes place, in the sense that Mr. Narayanan, the first IVY League scientist from India, was in Princeton.

Madhavan added that he had been to France, Russia, and Scotland. As a result, it is the most truthful language in which to make the film. Second, when Hollywood creates films such as Apollo 13 or Steve Jobs, they believe it to be true since the scientist's achievement is truly remarkable. India also has its own group of technicians, world-renowned scientists, and world-class CEOs. We also need to tell stories about these folks.

Madhavan concluded by saying that they have made a lot of movies and stories about their successes during the liberation struggle and the Mughal invasion, but none about Aryabhatta or the countless rocket scientists and their exploits. As a result, the actor believes that they should begin educating the world about the different types of people who contribute to and from India, as well as our heroic achievements.

Nambi is a former ISRO scientist and aerospace engineer who was wrongly accused of espionage while caught up in a spy scandal.

On July 1, 2022, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect will be released in theatres. The film also stars Phyllis Logan, Vincent Riotta, Ron Donachie, Simran, Rajit Kapur, Ravi Raghavendra, Misha Ghoshal, Gulshan Grover, Karthik Kumar, and Dinesh Prabhakar.

Superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Suriya will make cameo appearances in Madhavan's directorial debut.