Cast: John Abraham, Diana Penty, Boman Irani
Director: Abhishek Sharma
On 11 May 1998, Operation Shakti was initiated with the detonation of one fusion and two fission bombs. Later in a press conference Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared India a full-fledged nuclear state.
An event of such high magnitude and significance which made India a powerful force to reckon with required a much better portrayal on screen. The film could have created history if more importance was given to the story and screenplay than on John Abraham's lopsided smile.
First half is slow where the viewers are introduced to John Abraham's personal life and professional struggles which have no connection to the mission. A good writer could have outlined it in short and focused on the actual story. Boman Irani's entry adds some energy into a dull and lifeless film.
Diana Penty has few scenes and gets no scope to show her acting skills.
The story moves from Delhi to Mussoorie to Pokhran along with real TV footage of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, US President Bill Clinton and ex Pakistani PM Benazir Bhutto to add facts to a fictitious story.
The successful mission was a result of the hard work of numerous agencies, scientists and engineers, who worked in absolute secrecy for decades but in the film the success is owed to a team of 5 people, occasional patriotic dialogues and lucky coincidences.
The last 20 minutes of the film managed to create a sense of urgency and the climax itself made the film worth a one time watch. Audiences would have totally ignored John's lethargic acting if the full film was as pacy and action packed as the climax.
In a line, Parmanu is not a film for fans of John Abraham but for those who have no idea of what happened in 1998.
Can be seen in theaters.
