EXCLUSIVE: R Madhavan Reacts To Rocketry Winning National Award for Best Film, '5 Years of Pain...'

A day after the historic success of ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 mission, R Madhavan’s directorial debut, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, a biographical drama revolving around the life of former ISRO scientist S. Nambi Narayanan, clinched the Best Feature Film at the 69th National Film Awards. The film, which also stars Madhavan in the lead role, had earlier received a ten-minute standing ovation at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, where the actor-director premiered it to a select audience.

Speaking to News18 Showsha exclusively after the win, R Madhavan said, “On Wednesday, after the victory of Chandrayaan-3, I could not think I could get any happier but on Thursday, with the big win for Rocketry and a childlike-glee on Nambi Narayanan sir’s face, it has been the ultimate reward! Five years of agony, pain, blood and sweat vanished in that one second when we called Nambi Sir and saw his face this morning. I’m very grateful to the audience, the jury and to the public for the kind of recognition we have got. It urges me to do even better than I can. I’m flattered, touched and quite speechless.”

Taking to microblogging site, X, he thanked the jury and wrote that it was his mother’s “happiest birthday yet”. “Wish you the Happiest Birthday yet Amma.. All yours, Appa’s and Nambi Sirs Blessings. A Heartfelt “Thank You” to all the jury members of the National Award, @MIB_India Shri @ianuragthakur Ji and all in his team. Thank you for the auspicious, beginning in Cannes. Team Rocketry and @NambiNOfficial . I don’t know what to say. For once Truely speechless,” read his post.

Speaking of why he chose to tell the story of S. Nambi Narayanan, the ISRO aerospace engineer falsely accused of espionage and subsequently acquitted by the Supreme Court, as his debut screenplay, Madhavan had previously said, “There was no logical thinking or reasoning behind choosing this story as my first script. We were all totally moved by Nambi Narayanan’s story and his desire to tell the world what happened. We could not let that not happen.”