The actor has issued a clarification admitting that it was ignorant of him. (FILE)
R Madhavan's directorial debut Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, in which he also plays the lead role, is just a few days away from release. And amid the promotions of the film, the actor has found himself in the centre of a social media storm for his comments on the Mars mission of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
A clip of him saying that ISRO used the Panchangam (Hindu Calendar) to successfully launch the PSLV C-25 rocket to Mars has made him the subject of jokes and trolling. Now, the actor has issued a clarification admitting that it was ignorant of him to refer to the almanac as the Panchangam.
In a tweet he wrote, “I deserve this for calling the Almanac the “Panchang” in Tamil. Very ignorant of me. Though this cannot take away for the fact that what was achieved with just 2 engines by us in the Mars Mission. A record by itself. @NambiNOfficial Vikas engine is a rockstar,” tagging former ISRO scientist and aerospace engineer Nambi Narayanan, on whom the film is based.
Mr Madhavan's comments about India's Mars Mission and the Panchangam were made in Tamil originally at an event but were translated in a Twitter thread by musician TM Krishna. The tweet said, “In case you do not understand Tamil the gist is Indian rockets did not have 3 engines (solid, liquid, and cryogenic) which help western rockets propel themselves into the Martian orbit. Since India lacked, they used the information in the 'Panchangam' (Hindu Calendar).”
Sharing the video, TM Krishna had added, “Disappointed that ISRO has not published this vital information on their website. Time to also consider a Mars Panchangam!”
During the speech, Mr Madhavan further added, “The rocket was launched and it went around the Earth, Moon, and Jupiter's moon and ricochet into Mars' orbit.”
India became the first country to reach the Martian orbit in the first attempt in 2014.
Rocketry: The Nambi Effect is a biographical drama that traces the life and achievements of Nambi Narayanan, who was falsely accused of espionage. The film will release on July 1.