Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran
Year: 2018
Director: Abhishek Sharma
Cast: John Abraham, Diana Penty, Anuja Sathe, Boman Irani

What’s the plot?

India’s plan to conduct a nuclear arms test in 1995 was foiled because of poor secrecy and international pressure. Three years later, the new government’s security adviser (Boman Irani) decides to revive the failed project. He contacts the ex-diplomat (John Abraham) who had first proposed the project but whose suggestions were ignored, and who was later made into a scapegoat and unceremoniously dumped out.

The angry and frustrated man first refuses but then accepts the challenge. Choosing a core team of scientists, army-men and secret agents, he starts the nuclear missile test project again. But with the changing political scenario and constant US satellite surveillance (not to speak of American and Pak spies on ground!), the test needs to be carried out in utmost secrecy, within an ever-shrinking time-frame.

Verdict

It is yet another example of how the Indian recent history has become a favourite haunt of Bollywood’s film-makers. Producer-lead actor John Abraham had earlier made an engrossing Madras Café based on the LTTE plot to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi and here he picks up another interesting chapter from the 90s Indian history.

While the premise is interesting and the intrigue well-maintained, the overall plot, direction and performances all leave much to be desired. The fictionalization is amateurish; the characters are sketchily etched and the portrayals rather insipid. There is a none-too-subtle attempt to politicize the storyline and to heap praises on a certain political outfit. As a result, the film fails to arouse a

Still it is a good one-time watch!

Rating

2.5 stars