Before Padma Shri, R Madhavan Won National Award For THIS Film

R

Madhavan will be awarded the prestigious Padma Shri award later this year. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has announced the winners of the Padma Award today, which is the eve of Republic Day 2026. The Dhurandhar actor has been named for the Padma Shri along with the late Satish Shah and Prosenjit Chatterjee. The 55-year-old has contributed immensely to Indian cinema over two decades. From Hindi to Tamil, he has left an impact on the audience with his script choices. In 2022, Madhavan made his directorial debut with Rocketry: The Nambi Effect. Prior to the Padma Shri, the actor was honoured with one of the biggest awards of the country.

R Madhavan won National Award for Rocketry

Madhavan’s first as a director was also produced and written by him. He played the titular role of Nambi Narayanan, a scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation, who was accused of an espionage case. The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. Rocketry: The Nambi Effect can be watched on Amazon Prime Video.

R Madhavan on directing another film

In an exclusive interview with Zoom, Madhavan said a film like Rocketry: The Nambi Effect is made once in a lifetime. When asked if he would like to direct another movie in the future, the actor hoped to find a script that matches the standard and quality of his directorial debut. He would not like to direct a story that doesn’t convince him as an actor and filmmaker.

About Rocketry: The Nambi Effect

Rocketry: The Nambi Effect was India’s official selection for its world premiere at the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. The film was screened at the Palais des Festivals and received a standing ovation. The Hindi version of Rocketry: The Nambi Effect had a cameo by Shah Rukh Khan. Suriya was seen in the Tamil version. Simran, who had a blockbuster 2025, was seen as his wife. Madhavan, who played Nambi Narayanan, the ISRO scientist who was charged and arrested for espionage in the 1990s, for allegedly selling scientific data to Pakistan, underwent a major physical transformation. The actor, in order to depict his transformation from age 29 to 79 authentically, 'broke his jaw' and replaced his teeth to show his character ageing. He also gained weight and shed the extra kilos in a couple of weeks, as the character's later years were filmed first.

The film highlighted Narayanan's early years at ISRO. It showed his journey from being a promising scientist who landed in jail to receiving the honour of Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award, in 2019.

R Madhavan movies

Madhavan was last seen in Dhurandhar as Ajay Sanyal. He will be returning in the second part of the espionage thriller co-starring Ranveer Singh. The actor has Legacy, a Tamil series, in the pipeline. It features him with Gulshan Devaiah, Abhishek Banerjee and Nimisha Sajayan.