Madhavan to helm ‘Rocketry – The Nambi Effect’ besides playing lead


After two decades of making women swoon with his charm in front of the camera, actor Madhavan has decided it is time he tries his skills behind the lens too.

The Alaipayuthey hero will be taking over directing duties on his upcoming Rocketry – The Nambi Effect after Ananth Mahadevan had to leave the project due to ‘unavoidable circumstances’. It is to be noted that Madhavan was earlier co-directing the film with Mahadevan.

“Ananth Mahadevan is an extremely talented filmmaker. However, owing to unavoidable circumstances and certain pressing commitments he could no longer direct Rocketry – The Nambi Effect,” Madhavan said in a statement. ‘Rocketry is close to my heart for many reasons. The film is shaping up well and I can’t wait to tell the incredible story of Nambi Narayanan to the world,” he added.

Rocketry is based on the life of scientist and aerospace engineer, S Nambi Narayanan. The film is the directorial debut of Madhavan, who also essays the role of the protagonist in the film. As a senior official at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Narayanan was in-charge of the cryogenics division. In 1994, he was falsely charged with espionage and arrested. The charges against him were dismissed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 1996, and the Supreme Court declared him not guilty in 1998.

According to sources, the movie is ahead of schedule with major portions shot in three languages – Tamil, English and Hindi. It has been filmed extensively across India, Princeton, Scotland, France, and Russia. The film is slated for a release during the summer holidays.