Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran
Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran (transl. Atom; Hindi pronunciation: [pəɾmaːɳʊ]) is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language historical action drama film directed by Abhishek Sharma and jointly written by Saiwyn Quadras, Sanyuktha Chawla Sheikh and Sharma.
It was produced by Zee Studios and JA Entertainment banners. The film is based on the nuclear bomb test explosions conducted by the Indian Army at Pokhran in 1998. It stars John Abraham, Diana Penty and Boman Irani in lead roles.
Parmanu was earlier slated to release on 8 December 2017, but was postponed to avoid clashing with Padmaavat (2018). It was further delayed owing to conflicts between the producers of the film, Abraham and KriArj Entertainment. It was eventually released on 25 May 2018. It opened to favorable reviews and was also considered one of Abraham’s best action films.
In 1995, Ashwat Raina, an IAS officer from the Research and Analysis Wing, suggests the ministers to perform a retaliatory nuclear test in response to the recent nuclear missile tests by China.
However, he is ridiculed and the PMO secretary Suresh Yadav tells him to keep the file of his plan brief. Ashwat submits the file along with a floppy containing the details, but Yadav submits a half-baked plan to the Prime Minister and ignores the floppy. The test is hastily conducted without Ashwat’s involvement, who then becomes the scapegoat when an American Lacrosse Satellite photographs the test preparations and the United States warn India not to continue with the tests.
Ashwat loses his job and three years later, in 1998, when a new Prime Minister is sworn in, he is approached by the new PMO secretary Himanshu Shukla who questions the failure of the tests. Ashwat explains the most integral part of the mission was to keep it confidential but it couldn’t happen since no one viewed the floppy. Himanshu gives Ashwat a second chance to conduct the tests, for which he starts preparing a team.
Selecting five members from the BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre), DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation), Indian Army, ISA (Indian Space Agency) and IB (Intelligence Bureau (India)), Ashwat leads the team to Pokhran for the test setup.
