R Madhavan’s directorial debut Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, based on Nambi Narayanan’s life and struggles, follows the former ISRO scientist’s alleged involvement in espionage in 1994. The film, which was released in five languages on July 1 in theatres is now available on Amazon Prime Video. In an exclusive interview with Financial Express, R Madhavan talks to us about directing the film in 3 languages, his look in Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, his journey in the industry, and more. Excerpts from the interview:

What made you come up with the film? And what was the research that went behind while writing it?

I was moved when I met Dr. Nambi Narayanan. Not many people knew about him, his achievements, and being wrongly put in jail for having an affair with a Maldivian woman. When I met him, he just spoke about the case, how he was arrested for a crime he never did, and how it affected ISRO. I thought it is important for people to know more about him and his life and I wrote the script for about seven months. However, this is all that I knew. It was only when I met this gentleman that I realised that even though he was quite upset about what had happened to him, there was a lot more to him.  His achievements baffled me and then I decided to highlight that. It’s a national disservice to not know about what all he has done for the country. I am so proud that I did it.

What made you decide that you want to direct the film as well?

It happened by chance. I already had too many responsibilities in the film – writing, acting, and producing it. Just 25 days before the shoot, my director had to back out due to prior commitments and it came upon me. It was a herculean task, to be honest. I don’t think that I’ll be directing for a while.

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How easy or difficult does it get for you to detach yourself from a character?

You know when you get into a character, you do it with intensity. There are times when the character lives with you, days and months after the film is released or the verdict is passed. As an actor, we need to ensure that the residue of the character that we played is not there while taking up a new project. It’s not easy but a part of an actor’s life.

It is said that it has to work if you are a part of a film. How does it feel?

I am glad to know that my audience expects the best from me. I do work on my films with a lot of sincerity but if it clicks or not, that depends on the public. I do take time to select subjects as I don’t get people who write about subjects that I want to do.

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The film was released in Hindi, English, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam. You have shot in three languages and dubbed in two. Tell us about that.

It has happened for the first time. All my actors spoke all three languages and we were excited to pull it off. One shot in Hindi, another in Tamil, and then in English is how we planned it. It was insane but I am grateful to know that it is possible. There is a difference in the feel as language often changes emotions.

We have recently started speaking about pan-India films. What do you have to say about that?

It’s great – I don’t want to be referred to as a Bollywood or Tollywood actor but as an Indian actor. It’s beautiful to pull talents from across India and make films that are loved by everyone.

Tell us something about your looks in the film. Why was it important for you to not use prosthetics?

We tried to be as genuine and honest with the film. We wanted the audience to believe that whatever is being shown to them is true. It’s unbelievable to see what Mr. Nambi Narayanan has achieved. We had to gain weight, lose it, change the shape of our teeth, shave, etc to reflect different phases of Mr. Narayanan’s life. Prosthetics would have made it look all fake and that was not what we wanted.

Shah Rukh Khan and Suriya – the two biggest stars are also in the film. How did that happen?

Both of them have been so gracious and supportive. Shah Rukh called me to be a part of the film and I was honoured. He did not charge anything for the film. Even Suriya flew from Chennai just to be a part of the film. It was a dream come true as a first-time director.

How do you look back at your journey? Was there a time when people discouraged you and told you that you cannot be an actor or make it big?

This journey has been charming and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I got my debut with Mani Ratnam, I never thought that Rajkumar Hirani would call me one day for a film – You just cannot plan for it. The kind of films I’ve done and the impact they had on the audience is something I am grateful about. I followed my dream and believed in what my heart told me.

When are we going to watch Decoupled 2? It was meant to be for one season. If another season has to be made, the script has to be radical and impactful as the first one.