I don't know the fuss over this movie being so divisive among reviewers. Of course this movie is more of a fictionalized account of the days leading up to ISRO's MOM launch than a semi autobiographical narrative. So what? So many movies around the world come and go with the "based on/inspired by the events" tag that stray far from reality yet no one bats an eye then.
This movie is just OK, you can bring your parents or colleagues or spouse and you are guaranteed to have a pleasant time with any of them as company. Akshay does a fine job in the lead role with Vidya giving a commendable supporting act. The rest of the cast are passable.
The movie thankfully has not many cringe-worthy moments. The few that were put in more as a quota fulfillment for a standard masala Bollywood film do not stick out like a sore thumb. A lot of people seemed to complain that there was not much emphasis given on the exact science of the Mars mission . Clearly, this movie aims more for that vicarious experience of joy and happiness at having achieved the mission rather than the exact train of intellectual thought that went into solving the obstacles faced.
Finally, there was a commentary by an official reviewer as to how this movie was pandering to nationalism and religious appeasement at the same time.I got neither of those vibes from the movie. Regarding nationalism, I felt the referenced attribute was more about cherishing the underdog tale ( a financially stunted ISRO against space giants like the US and Russia) rather than any political right wing remark. And the religious appeasement angle was anything but left wing. If anything, that subplot was meant to reconcile the different faiths in a diverse nation and pray mutually for the success of the Mars mission.
So,overall I am impressed and will recommend this movie
