Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran (2018) User Reviews

The Kind of Movie Bollywood Needs

[gokscasm · 8/10 · 26 May 2018]

We have people blaming #Bollywood movies for content all year long and when a good film releases there's no one to watch it. Intentionally watched #Parmanu with 50% occupancy and what a film it is!! Such stories need to be told, these are the stories which children need to know.

And not movies on Sanjay Dutt, not movies on Dawood, Haseena Parkar, etc. #Parmanu invokes patriotism in you and that's what should be remembered. Anyway will have people bashing the upcoming Race 3 and blaming the audience for taking it to 500cr.

Whereas a Parmanu silently arrives and leaves without anyone noticing. Hope it gets what it deserves. An audience!!

A must watch patriotic film. John's career best.

[maulin5 · 9/10 · 25 May 2018]

Directed by Abhishek Sharma, Parmanu is a film based on true incident of nuclear testing in India (1998). Film features John Abraham, Diana Penty, Boman Irani and Anuja Sathe in prominent characters. It speaks about the historical event of India becoming a nuclear state.

First of all, let me tell you frankly that I was not going for this movie till the last night. Somehow I felt that it's going to be a boring film as what will they show about nuclear test! But last night, I read one tweet praising about it. So I made up my mind to take a risk. Believe me, I am extremely satisfied now!

What went through during the test of nuclear, that also with super secrecy from entire world, especially CIA. There is a constant pace that the film continues on with lot's of happening in between. There is a strong emotional factor, too. And above all, the patriotism makes it a worthy watch for every Indian.

John Abraham is at his best. Many will say that this is his best film in the entire career. Also, he is a producer of this film. There were some issues, and because of that the film's future went in danger. But he somehow manages to break all the odds and Today he made it to the theatres as well. Kudos to him for lifting up such a story which the entire nation needs to know.

Diana Penty looks perfect for the role. She acts beautifully and looks charming. Anuja Sathe delivers a solid performance as a wife of John. Boman Irani is excellent. His conversation scenes with John are the best! Supporting cast, especially the Pandavas have done a great job. They keep you engage as well as entertain throughout.

Music by Sachin-Jigar adds an element of Rajasthani touch. Folk tunes and voices are very much relatable to the story and situation. Sapna by Arijit is my favourite from this album.

Location adds thrill to the story. Storms and sands are captured well. The whole setup of plant was developed superb. It is hard to crew for the setup pf 1998 in the current year, but they have done it nicely. Though, the blast could have been shown better. Although, it is nice now. Usage of old footage such as speech by Bajpayee is also good.

Overall, this film should not be missed. You will feel proud for sure. This film is an ode to our engineers and scientists. And that too in a thriller format. John Abraham and Abhishek Sharma deserve applaud for making such a wonderful film. And I wish John will make such films in future as well (like his production house did in the past). So, a must watch story of Pokhran. 4/5.

This movie will revisit you proud moment for whole nation

[prafullasrivastav · 9/10 · 25 May 2018]

Direction:

Tere Bin Laden series fame Abhishek Sharma has come up with historical Thriller drama of Nuclear Bomb testing. This genre looks boring for general public but he keep the momentum with solid performance and script.

Performance:

John Abraham has given another Madras Cafe type performance for this movie. Diana Penty was looks good in her role. Bohan Irani was great in touch with his role. Zachary Coffin is now regular Bollywood's Gora Man. Master Arush Nand and Aditya Hitkari also done good job.

Script:

Brilliant job done by Saiwyn Quadras, Sanyuktha Chawla Sheikh and Abhishek Sharma. There are many wow factors in this movie. First one was the inclusion of Maharbahrat and Pandavs concept. Second one, Real life video footage of Atal Bihari, Nawaz Sharif, Bill Cilton added more weigh into script.

Music:

Sachin-Jigar and Jeet Ganguly 's music was good as it suits with the situation and did not put break into speed of script. " Shubh Din" and "Thare Vaaste" are really great one.

Box-office:

As word of mouth is good for this movie, Footfall will be increase on Saturday and Sunday. Second week will be crucial one. We can expect 40-50 crores lifetime collection for this one.

Last words:

Don't miss the chance to become witness of proud moment

Just watch this film. An epic proud Indian moment awaits you.

[Achyut_Prashast_Singh · 10/10 · 25 May 2018]

It's a shame that I really had almost no idea about the event it's based on. That very event changed the world's perspective towards our nation and it was indeed a proud moment for us all. PARMANU: THE STORY OF POKHRAN is a mindblowing film. It not only stays true to the event but also makes sure that those who didn't know about it would be able to experience it in a stylish way.

PARMANU is a very tightly scripted film. There are thrills, drama and some cool action. Everything is balanced so perfectly that I felt it couldn't get any better than this. There's almost no flaw to find and the lack of musical numbers ensures that a wider audience embraces the film. There are no commercial compromises, and the director has mixed all the elements perfectly to give you a touching patriotic story which proves that unsung heroes can be remembered and honoured on any day.

John Abraham is fabulous in this film. He plays a different kind of role and impresses totally, especially in the climax and an action sequence in the second half. Well, I didn't really need to say that since we all know that he's an action hero. This time, he doesn't really play one, but still reminds us of the excellence with which he has mastered this genre. Boman Irani is extraordinary: give him any role and he's gonna play it his way, the perfect way. Diana Penty is impressive and her character is neatly written. Rest of the cast does a splendid job.

The review would be incomplete without praising the film's director, Abhishek Sharma whose skilful direction has helped the film become what it became: A perfect entertainer and thought-provoking historical action drama/thriller which also allows for some natural humour to breathe in.

Enough of the bashing by critics. This film is awesome and is capable to entertain all ages. PARMANU: THE STORY OF POKHRAN is much more than just a history lesson: it's a phenomenal historical saga which realizes its strengths and thus chooses to remain totally realistic. If you like action dramas/thrillers based on real events, then I would like to congratulate you, since you're definitely in for a treat.

Amazing Mindlowing movie, one of the best movies of the year

[priyaguptadu · 10/10 · 26 May 2018]

Parmanu is thriller movie, which shows how RAW coordinated with IB , Indian Army , ISA to test India's atom bomb along with keeping the mission secret from Pak's ISI and US CIA.

Great acting by lead actors.

Good attempt, but severely overrated.

[uzzwal-19491 · 6/10 · 29 July 2018]

Decent effort from John and the director Abhishek Sharma, but the movie falls apart so many times. The grip which is required in such movies is missing. Although kudos to John for showing the courage to make a movie on this subject.

Parmanu - The explosion of patriotism!

[Swapnilagarwal · 9/10 · 26 May 2018]

It always feels great when something apart from a India-Pak match unites, we the people of India, where we clap together on a national achievement, for national hero(es). Well, this time it was a recreation of a moment of national pride that incited this act. Abhishek Sharma's 'Parmanu- the story of Pokharan' (PTSP) is a true ode to the visionaries who envisioned and executed the intricate yet successful nuclear tests of 1998 which catapulted India to a full-fledged nuclear state.

1. *The plot* - Going by the theme, it could have easily been a documentary. However, considering sensitivity of information and facts, it would not have been legal to detail out everything with 100% authenticity. There goes kudos to the writers who spunned the well needed soul of the programme in a fictional story and characters. This saved the film from becoming dull/ documentaristic! However, regular showcasing of actual clippings from DD and government archives ensured realism. Watching Vajpayee ji's real inspiring speeches on & off was definitely heart-warming! :) 2. *Cast* - A special mention of John Abraham who risked money to make a movie on this otherwise on-paper dry topic. Apart from being a courageous producer of this film, he carried it well on his shoulders as main lead. He was ably supported by talented actors like Boman Irani, Vikas Kumar and Yogendra Tiku. Diana Penty and Anuja Sathe did justice to their limited characters. Overall, all characters looked authentic in their body language and were aplty cast. 3. The on screen authenticity of events and characters can be attributed to *immaculate screenplay and flawless cinematography*. 4. Thankfully, no song disrupts the seriousness or tone of the film. *Background score* is good. 5. The film is *flawed* only to the extent of some over-styling of lead actors and low story pace initially. However, Movie picks up pace gradually and gets into full on acceleration esp. in 2nd half. One more miss out was APJ's character. Perhaps, absence of exact mappings was intentional.

All in all, PTSP does manage give a glimpse of unmatchable hard work and challenges that went away in enacting this historical achievement. In an era where India was a vulnerable state diplomatically bullied and regularly monitored (read: threatened) by Uncle Sam, this achievement was much much bigger than current era's surgical strike. Each Indian deserves to know, see and feel proud to watch this story unfold. _It was disappointing to find hardly 30% occupancy at multiplex._

For me, it is definitely a *9/10* flick. Please go *watch in theatres* to help more people put money on similar stories.

Note: Do watch ending credentials as they showcase real pictures of/ before/ after explosion along with fact bits.

Based on a great true story...but director and story writer screwed it up

[kartikm-88 · 6/10 · 25 July 2018]

There are some movies which are made on stories that you would be great. But somehow the work that goes in is so amateurish that you feel like hitting someone.

Parmanu is one such movie. You have great facts and actual story fit in, but the way some dialogue exchanges, some initial chapter of John's personal life, the interview letter, offering of appointment letter while saying its a classified covert mission, introducing an hearthrob actress and then the hero antics of John's character and how the CIA and ISI are made to look unprofessional, how the casual way of saying gun is locked etc. what I call the whole bollywood mix and mot actually making it into a thriller that it could be is a serious waste of script.

There were many posts on facebook that said Parmanu did not do well as what Sanju did. Well it was not about the patriotism, it was about the weak script.

Another Chak De India like film after 11 years

[mrohan-56380 · 10/10 · 25 May 2018]

I loved the movie, the best part about the movie is the simplicity which was maintained throughout the movie. Most people tend to use a realistic situation and completely complicate the storyline but this movie was grounded and it kept me guessing the whole minute.

John acts just like Shah Rukh Khan in Chak De India and Boman gives full justice to the role of PM's secretary. The music was good, I especially loved 'Shubh Din' song.

There should be more movies like this to come in the future.

Good story, not so good execution!

[chandniglimmers · 6/10 · 30 August 2018]

Very average! I liked the movie mainly because of the story. I had to ignore various plotholes to be able to enjoy the movie. I especially hated the climax. It was totally unnecassary. It was missing the factor that keeps you on the edge. This movie has wasted a brilliant story.

Must watch

[abhishekmoon · 10/10 · 26 May 2018]

Awesome movie to remember the proudest moment of our Nation.

This film Stole Interstellar's soundtrack

[dpkmt · 6/10 · 26 May 2018]

This is an average good film. The only thing that broke my heart is that they used the soundrsoun from Interstellar in the climax sequence. Very sad and very bad!

Average movie at best

[sisyaa · 5/10 · 10 August 2018]

Pros: Based on true events, which undoubtedly is a pride of any sensible Indian Cons: Everything else. Just coz this is based on a true event (especially a proud moment) doesn't automatically makes this movie a good one. Story telling is lazy, character building is lazy. Not one character with whom one can relate or even understand their background except someone saying "he's brilliant, he's awesome". Gimme a break. Dont tell me, SHOW me. That's what movie is about.

Technical aspect of the Pokhran test is so diluted as if it looks like connecting a dynamite using wires and pulling the switch. Nothing about the challenges they've faced is shown except brushing the surface of it.When i read about Pokhran, clearly it's notable that they've missed the basic thing, which is the hard work put in by each one of the team member.

John Abraham and the IB girl- God save their acting. Others acting is passable at best, except Boman Irani, who doesn't have much screen time.

This move, from a story telling point of view, kinda sucks. Just coz I'm Indian, I've given this 5/10.

Patriotic, Factual and Entertaining treat, one must not miss!

[MuviFan73 · 9/10 · 25 May 2018]

Tone, Script & Story: The story is to carry out nuclear tests secretly by India without the world knowing about it. Script is tight it keeps you engaged. Patriotic tone is executed well.

As john conveyed to press, the movie is 90 percent factual, its majorly so if not accurately. Its nice to come through a general dose of facts. Being a patriotic Indian, facts based on positive aspects of growths of one's country are enough of a recipe for a successful film.

As the movie progressed, it had me like it is more of inspired, rather being accurate. One things for sure it was entertaining. As the movie progresses to end it is portrayed that there are 6 nukes to be tested, in movie it is shown, only one of them is detonated, but whatever is shown have you in your seats.

Direction, Screenplay, Cinematography: One word for the mention three department's 'excellent'. Direction from Abhishek Sharma. Screenplay around the clock. Cinematography, especially when nuke is detonated.

Music: Music was average. Acting: Acting was average as well, from all the leads. John Abraham as a producer has been giving us really cool stuff.

Final Verdict: Patriotic, factual and entertaining treat, one must not miss.

Classic...!!

[ndpiparava · 10/10 · 26 May 2018]

Simply classic and well directed and acted. Its not masala movies still best entertainer with true events. It can be in league of old Bollywood classic, real movie lover love this one.

Interesting story with few glitches

[samyaksambuddha · 7/10 · 6 September 2018]

India became a nuclear state in the 1998 is something most of us know. What remains hidden is the heroism of few officials who work hard day and night into realizing of the dreams of the nation. The turning points were good and so were the plots. John as always plays a strong and determined character who wishes to alter the existing state of affairs with hard work. Also, the games that nations play diplomatically and strategically is well expressed. In the name of security and stability the nations The glitches seem to lie in the exaggerated scenes like the detection of a satellite by John in the midst of nowhere but then these may be on public demand. Story revolved mostly around John with little mention of other supporting hands; the name of the giant architect, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam is not worthfully mentioned.

A must watch, informative movie for everyone, especially Indians

[Chandrasekar_V · 10/10 · 26 May 2018]

Not often that I write about Hindi movies, but I certainly had to write about Parmanu - the story of Pokhran. Such a good movie that was. It basically depicted the secret nuclear operation carried out by the Indian Army under the guidance of Dr. Abdul Kalam in 1998, which is considered one of the best secret operations carried out by a country. It brought immense pride to me as an Indian while watching that movie, just to see the way the operation was carried out.

It was refreshing to see John Abraham in such a good role where he didn't have to flaunt his biceps or six pack, etc. Really liked his portrayal of the character of Ashwat Raina. Another eye catcher to me was Boman Irani, as I'm catching him on screen after a while now. His role of a top government official was enhanced with his experience as an actor. There were a few other pivotal characters who were effective enough on screen.

The best thing apart from the performances to me were the fact that this was a movie devoid of illogical stunt sequences, item or party songs and other unwanted commercial aspects. It stayed pure to its intention and to me, this is the type of Bollywood I personally want to see. This was quite informative in many ways and there might be quite a few like me who wouldn't have heard a lot about this mission until now.

After coming out of the theatre, I felt proud as an Indian that such a challenging operation was carried out with such braveness and to extreme perfection under the leadership of Dr. Kalam himself. While we criticise many aspects of our country, I think this movie would be a good way to appreciate such incidents and also India's growth as a nation since then. A must watch in theatre for every Indian.

Jai Hind.

A bit of a let-down

[sajjanj · 6/10 · 28 July 2018]

Pokran nuclear test was a big milestone in India's advancement in its defence strategy. It was a "WE CAN DO IT TOO" response to the world, which surprised everyone. It made the Indians proud and rejuvinated the belief that Indians are very capable in achieving the impossible. I say impossible because, these tests were conducted while the US were monitoring these tests. I am very curious to know how the Indian scientists got the information about an American satellite's orbit to determine the time window that was considered the BLINDSPOT. Truly inspiring to see how everyone came together to get this done. It has definitely gained us respect from the developed nations, admiration from developing nations and ofcourse, kept Pakistan on check!

Coming to the movie.. I would think there is still room for improvement, because there were very few moments where I felt the scene was gripping. Screenplay & direction were unfortunately a bit weak. Some of the scenes that dealt with intelligence were not bang on. I think some Bollywood masala might have ruined it. Also, I am not sure if John Abraham was best suited for this role. A character artist like Manoj Bajpayee or KK Menon might have been best suited for this role.

Some might argue that this movie might be favoring the right-wing party, but it is an undeniable fact that the then previous government seemed helpless when they got caught by the Americans the first time, which halted all tests. Also, showing the actual footage was necessary, because that was a part of India's modern history, but some might disagree. However, the fact that this movie has been released with the elections a few months away, makes me think.

The last scene that was shot when the bombs were tested was indeed worth watching, but the stop-motion scene inside the bunker looked incomplete. Interestingly, some of the army soldiers were waiting outside on foot and they didn't seem to get hurt by the shock waves, but the ones in the bunker were thrown off their chairs! It didn't seem real at all.

Bottom line, this movie didn't do justice to the real events. I love John Abraham, but he is action star for crying out loud! Couldn't ear to see him getting beaten-up by the ISI agent :)

Indian History's best kept secret

[shishir16 · 10/10 · 31 May 2018]

Despite the intricacies of the topic at hand, filmmakers have delivered a thoroughly entertaining uncomplicated gripping thriller with enough light moments to keep the audience captivated.

The grandiose vision, acute attention to detail required for a period film, fast-paced screenplay, Hollywoodesque CGI and a breath-stopping final act that ends literally with a big bang!

Abhishek Sharma of Tere Bin Laden fame has delivered a winner here filled with patriotism, some bollywood masala, Argo kind of ending & a fair bit of Vajpayee ji. Another path breaking film from the John Abraham Production House post Vicky Donor and Madras Cafe! Boman Irani is the finest actor in the country, John Abraham is wonderful and the support cast fits in perfectly!

A story revealing Indian history's best-kept secret, that needed to be told! It is imperative that we encourage and watch good films like Parmanu in theatres in India, else we will continue to be served some trash Friday after Friday. The movie will resonate with every Indian & all movie-goers will leave the theatre engulfed with national pride!!

Offers lessons in how to kill an exciting story

[DivyaInduSharma · 6/10 · 1 August 2018]

Complete snooze fest despite being based on an exciting epochal time in India's geopolitical history. Zero edge of seat excitement, bad acting and ridiculous dialogues. The only saving grace - Boman Irani in the few scenes he's granted. To anyone who's watched Raazi and The Ghazi Attack, this movie is an epic fail. It's informative for sure, but totally un-entertaining, simply because the makers decided to use the same old Bollywood formulas to add the 'entertainment' factor. This movie could've easily been an Indian 'Argo' but it isn't even at the level of a decent documentary.

A must watchable film.

[arpitjaiswal-05844 · 10/10 · 26 May 2018]

The movie is relatable with an event that occur in india in past. All the minute of film entertains u. All stars and co sa

Great plot poor execution

[ankitkedia-is · 6/10 · 28 July 2018]

Plot:10/10 Acting:7/10 Direction:6/10 Editing:4/10 Really nice plot, lost by poor direction and screen play.

Not Much Research was done

[abhiraut · 4/10 · 4 June 2018]

Movie misses on mnay science fronts ... Such as people handle open nuclear core without radiation suit... overall not very smart movie

A CLASSIC!!!My grandchildren are going to watch and love it even 50yrs from now.

[arnavbhatt-98652 · 10/10 · 9 June 2018]

Parmanu is the best movie of 2018 so far.It is entertaining,it enthrills you,keeps you sitting at the edge of your seat throughout the length of the movie and leaves you filled with patriotism and pride at the end. Interesting plot,great cast,nice direction. An overall package of action,thrill and facts. Watch it with your friends, family or alone(like me)you are going to enjoy every minute of this movie.

It will give you goosebumps

[ketgup83 · 8/10 · 26 May 2018]

On 11th May, 1998, India was declared a nuclear state despite facing major opposition from world leaders including USA. It was a historic day for each and every Indian as it showed the world that India can be a supreme power. Does Parmanu : The Story Of Pokhran do justice to the events that eventually led to the nuclear test successfully conducted at Pokhran, Rajasthan ? Let us find out ..

After failed attempts to carry out the plans to execute the nuclear test, Capt. Ashwat Raina (John Abraham) loses hope and retires from his professional life. Thanks to Himanshu Shukla (Boman Irani), Principle secretary to the Prime Minister, the project to carry out nuclear test is restarted and he wants Ashwat to lead the team at Pokhran and at the same time prove his mettle.

From director of Tere Bin Laden, Abhishek Sharma chooses a subject which was never told and probably forgotten. The successful nuclear test was lead by Dr. Abdul Kalam and all the drama and events behind the project is recommended to be told to the entire world. The film will not impress initially as it takes time to build the story and characters. Infact, it felt like watching an average film on Pokhran nuclear test till the first half. But the mood of the film completely changes in the second half. The screenplay gathers steam and builds tension around the scenes. The film delivers a knock-out punch and should impress the audience. Icing on the cake is the humor coupled with outstanding climax which makes it worth-watching.

I liked the editing of the film which gets covered in a span of 2 hours along with some great cinematography. Art direction is superb along with remarkable dialogues which goes well with the film. I wish Screenplay could have been tighter to make it an eventful film. Music was another let down where it does not incite the patriotic feeling. Performances were good with John Abraham doing fine while rest of the star cast was passable.

Overall, a nice attempt to tell the true events which led to the miracle day. Good 3/5