Parmanu Review - An Explosion Of Lethargic Storytelling

Suhansid Srikanth

Parmanu is your typical bollywood film constantly dodging then and there between a fascinating real story and mainstream chances to exploit heroism. The film explores the nuclear test that happened in Pokhran during 1998. And comes with it.. the jingoism in loads and loads. John Abraham suits up for the nation. He puts the vision for his country before everything. Not sure whether he was trying to pull off a fictionalized version of a bodybuilt, muscular Abdul Kalam.. but throughout the movie he looks like a lost police officer who just guards the whole thing. We hardly feel that he is the brain behind. Also.. Add the overtly done glorification of BJP's government back that turns as a big joke to watch and increasingly irrelevant in today's times.

The film starts with the explosion of Pokhran.. and till a point we wait for the story to head to this actual moment. But it only dramatises as much as it could.. taking its own time. We see John Abraham getting shocked in slowmotion when his plan is rejected. We see some minister placing his tea cup over the floppy disk given by John Abraham. We see a file that's titled SUSPENSION ORDER as bold as possible tossed over him by an official! We see John's face lit as a door opens when the chief secretary (interestingly portrayed by Boman Irani) gives him permission to continue the mission. The film dwells on these techniques and cliches comfortably.

John gets his clues from anything and everything he could.. to set a plan for the program. The major base kicks in when his in-laws are talking about Mahabharata. I chuckled when he is asked to remove the sandals as they are telecasting Mahabharata on television. Overhearing the speech.. he sets the mission close to the concept of Pandavas. (It is upto you if you are reminded with the joke of our times.. 'Internet was there during Gurushektra'!)

And.. The symbolisms!!! An American crushing a globe as his stressball while checking the image mapping results from satellite and one another standing with an acidity syrup post eating PaniPuri must be the closest the film tried to communicate in visual language which otherwise is a huge building built 'formula - application - result' structured scenes.

The secret codes used by the team are bollywood songs like 'Lag Ja Gale..'. It comes funny then and there until at one point John's wife (played by Anuja Sathe, who for half the time performed like she is in a theatre play) mistook that he is in affair with his colleague by checking at these messages. The only character I was curious and happy to notice perfoming was that of Yogendra Tiku, a scientist who keeps forgetting things. There's something about his innocence.. a charming blend of seniority and wittiness he brings on screen.

John Abraham, throughout the film wanders with his wet set hair as if he is in a Gillette advertisement. We hardly connect to his intentions.. his feelings.. his passion to live up to his father's name. The film as typical as it is, shows real life clippings and photos then and there. Near climax, we do get a bit heart thumping but we do know its going to be a Win-Win since the beginning of the film. It also adds slides after the film ends on how magnificient the event was. And we look at it like we are leaving from a January 26 - National Army Day expo.

The music on other hand is again lethargically generic. A song when he quits a job.. A song when the team plans aggresively (that for some reason reminded me of Mountain Dew ads). The film is happy about being this generic to its kith and kin. But I must say I was taken aback when post climax.. after the success of nuclear test.. when one of the characters screamed 'Bharat Mata ki..', half the theatre shouted back.. 'Jai!!!'. Hmm!