Mumbai: A group of former scientists of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Wednesday alleged that the film Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’ by former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan. Rocketry: The Nambi Effect) and through some television channels are false and tantamount to defaming the space agency. Dr. AE Mutunayagam, Director, LPSE, ISRO, Prof. EV S Namboothiri, Project Director, Cryogenic Engines, and D Sasikumaran, Deputy Director, Cryogenic Engines, and other former ISRO scientists met the media here on Wednesday and rubbished the claims made in the film.
The film, directed, produced, and written by actor R Madhavan, is based on the life of aerospace engineer Nambi Narayanan. The film stars R Madhavan in the lead role. The former scientists said, “We are compelled to tell some cases to the public because Nambi Narayanan is defaming ISRO and other scientists through the film ‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’ and through television channels. His claim that he is the father of many projects is wrong. He has even claimed in the film that he once corrected APJ Abdul Kalam, who would later become the President of the country.
This is also wrong. Former scientists said that Nambi Narayanan’s claim in the film that his arrest delayed India’s acquisition of cryogenic technology was false. He said ISRO started developing cryogenic technology in the 1980s and EV S Namboodiri was in charge. “Nambi Narayanan had nothing to do with the project,” he claimed.
The group of former scientists also claimed that at least 90 percent of the cases mentioned in the film regarding ISRO are false. “We have also come to know that Nambi Narayanan has claimed in some television channels that whatever has been said in the film is true. Some scientists also raised concerns that Nambi Narayanan was taking credit for many of his achievements. There was no immediate reaction from Nambi Narayanan or the makers of the film regarding the allegations by former scientists.
In 2018, the Supreme Court ordered a probe into the role of Kerala Police in the ISRO espionage case in which 76-year-old Nambi Narayanan was accused. Nambi Narayanan, who was arrested in this case, had to spend about two months in jail and later the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) found that the espionage case was false.
