Renowned Indian actor R Madhavan is currently busy promoting his upcoming biographical drama biopic Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, which also marks his directorial debut.
During an interview, Madhavan compared Nambi Narayanan to James Bond and said the latter is a ‘bachcha’ (child) in front of the aerospace engineer. For the uninitiated, Narayanan was arrested on espionage charges in the 90s but was acquitted by the Supreme Court some years later.
“For his whole family to be thought of as a ‘spy case family’, it’s not right, and I understood the angst that he had. What shocked me more was that he was given the Padma Bhushan, but nobody knows why he got the Padma Bhushan. In fact, he wasn’t talking about it. He had written a book on his life, and he hadn’t mentioned his achievements. But when I came to know what he did; the first Ivy League scientist from India, or the fact that he went to France with 52 scientists or the fact that he went to Russia when the USSR was breaking down… This guy is the father of James Bond, James Bond bachcha nikla iske saamne, he was absolutely incredible.”
He was asked if his pursuit of excellence began after he worked with director Rajkumar Hirani on the film 3 Idiots, and he replied in Hindi, “That would be inaccurate, because I was striving for excellence even before I met him, and that is maybe why I was able to work with someone like him.”
Rocketry: The Nambi Effect also stars Simran, Rajit Kapur, Gulshan Grover, and features Shah Rukh Khan and Suriya in cameos. The film is due on July 1. It has been shot in three languages — English, Hindi, and Tamil.
Rihanna strikes a bold bridal pose in Savage X Fenty’s new collectionInstagram/
Rihanna’s playful cake-smash in bridal lingerie fuels fan theories about a secret ceremony with A$AP RockyInstagram/
A childhood star who grew into a beloved TV icon, Michelle Trachtenberg leaves behind a lasting impact on entertainmentGetty Images 
From Harriet the Spy to Gossip Girl, Michelle Trachtenberg’s acting career captivated generations of viewersGetty Images
Russell T Davies, Ncuti Gatwa, Millie Gibson, and the Doctor Who team attend the U.S. premiere Getty Images 
Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu in a still from Doctor WhoScreengrab 
Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Varun Dhawan for their Amazon Prime Video spy series Citadel: Honey BunnyGetty Images 
Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden light up the red carpet at the Los Angeles fan screening of Prime Video’s CitadelGetty Images
In her candid interview, Soha Ali Khan talks about dealing with religious and parenting stereotypesInstagram/
Soha Ali Khan reflects on the pressures of public judgment surrounding her marriage to Kunal KemmuInstagram/