Madhavan's 'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect' trailer screened at Times Square
It's raining accomplishments for R Madhavan's Rocketry: The Nambi Effect. The film, after earning a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, has now achieved another incredible feat. Its trailer has been screened at the coveted NASDAQ Billboard at Times Square, New York. The biopic, based on the life of ISRO engineer Nambi Narayanan, is heading toward a worldwide release on July 1.
Why does this story matter?
Madhavan's brainchild, the film is special for him since he has also helmed, produced, and written it, in addition to essaying the lead role. It is based on the life of Narayanan, a former ISRO scientist and aerospace engineer, who was falsely accused of being a spy and subsequently arrested in 1994. It will be released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, English, and Malayalam.
SRK, Suriya are also part of the film
A delighted Madhavan shared a video of the trailer's Times Square screening on Instagram where he can be seen surrounded by fans and admirers. His colleagues from the industry were quick to shower praises. Actor Esha Deol wrote, "Awesome," while Ronit Bose Roy said, "Waaah! Mubarak mere bhai (Congratulations, brother)." Notably, Shah Rukh Khan and Suriya will be seen in cameo roles in Rocketry.
Take a look at the clip here
Madhavan currently promoting film in US
The Run actor is currently in the US for a 12-day promotional tour. As part of the promotional campaign, Narayanan and Madhavan visited Stafford, Texas, where they also met astronaut Sunita Williams. Stafford Mayor Cecil Willis had announced June 3 as "Nambi Narayanan Day." A few weeks ago, Madhavan was also part of Union minister Anurag Thakur-led Indian delegation at the Cannes Film Festival.
Why was Narayanan arrested in 1994?
Narayanan—awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2019—was instrumental in developing the "Vikas" engine that was later used in India's first PSLV launch. In November 1994, he was branded a "traitor," accused of sharing confidential rocket technology with Pakistan, and booked under corruption and other offenses. In 1996, however, the CBI cleared him of all charges and the Supreme Court declared him not guilty in 1998.
'Tubelight' and 'The Kashmir Files' have earned similar honors
A few other Bollywood films have also earned the honor of being advertised at the Times Square, which is known as the "crossroads of the world" and reportedly registers a footfall of 3,60,000 every day. Notably, in 2017, Kabir Khan's Tubelight became the first Bollywood film to bag this privilege. In January 2022, Vivek Agnihotri-helmed The Kashmir Files' digital poster also featured there.
