Every human on the earth has been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak and the accompanying pandemic. There have also been numerous documentaries created on it, most of which focus on the difficulties faced by different groups of people during the lockdown that was imposed. The hardship of the scientists who worked tirelessly to develop India's own vaccine in a record-breaking seven months is one component that was not depicted but is nonetheless crucial. In his book "The Vaccine War," Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri examines this plot thread.
The movie "Going Viral," which is based on the book "Going Viral" by Dr. Balram Bharghav, a former director general of The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), examines the difficulties that researchers at the ICMR and National Virology Institute (NVI) encountered while working to develop India's first indigenous vaccine in a record-breaking seven months. More amazing still, the majority of the team who created the vaccination were female.
The movie starts on January 1st, 2020, when news reports about a virus that causes symptoms similar to pneumonia first surfaced, and it goes on to the current day. It is divided into 12 chapters, each of which discusses a particular difficulty and demonstrates how the scientific team overcame it to succeed.
The movie's opening act drags on far too long. Although it's crucial to introduce the plot and interest the viewer in the movie's subject, the pacing and editing could have been tighter. Before the interval, it seemed like a lifetime, which would tyre the average audience. However, the tempo quickens and stays that way until the end of the second half.
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Vivek Agnihotri makes passing references to the idea that the virus might have come from a lab leak early on but purposefully avoids delving into it. Additionally, he succeeds in maintaining a balance between the technical components and the cinematic experience without sacrificing either.
His biassed characterization of the media and its reporting of India's response to the Covid-19 issue and vaccine development, however, is a significant flaw. He described the movie as a sort of "media war" in one of his videos that he published on X, implying that the film had also been engaged in one given the minimal media attention of its release.
Agnihotri has painted a one-sided picture of the scenario in an effort to "expose" the toolbox made available to media outlets for promoting foreign vaccinations and active lobbying. Did the entire media really think that "India can't do it"? No, I think. Watching the movie, however, can create the idea that the entire business has made it their goal to discredit the vaccine and the hard-working scientists who developed it.
The film's weakest link appears to be Raima Sen, who plays the journalist determined to spread false information about the vaccination and paint it in an unfavourable light. Anyone who has seen her in Bengali films will attest to her talent as an actress. She sounds like a cartoon character in this one, though.
The mindset of the characters and the suffering they were going through is another topic that should have been properly explored. With the exception of Dr. Nivedita (played by Girija Oak), we get fewer glimpses into the lives of the doctors. If that had been explored more, the audience might have had a stronger emotional reaction to the movie.
Having saying that, there are scenes in this movie that will make you cry. It would smack you square in the face and provoke thoughts about how medical experts and scientists valued the greater good over their own lives. It acknowledges their sacrifice and makes its point without shouting it out loud.
One very intriguing aspect of the movie is how Vivek Agnihotri, who got both praise and condemnation for his previous film "The Kashmir Files," has avoided depicting how minorities contributed to and spread the Covid-19 instances. In fact, the movie blames the spread of the Delta strain of the virus on Kumbh Mela celebrations as well as rallies and revellers having a good time.
In terms of the political orientation of the movie, he also sort of strikes a balance. It unquestionably presents the government in a favourable light. While Nana Patekar's character, Balram Bharghav, is seen applauding the PM and declaring him to be pro-science. Additionally, the movie does attribute the second wave of virus spread to political rallies.
The movie features outstanding acting. Nana Patekar demonstrates his immense talent. Simply put, he can go into any job and make it his own. He turns to Dr. Bharghav with ease, maintaining a neutral expression while subtly expressing his feelings.
Abraham is played by Pallavi Joshi. She portrays a Malayali, and although it was challenging, she does a good job of capturing the accent. She conveys the desperation of someone who must carry out Dr. Bharghav's directives but is unable to exert pressure on the NVI scientists. It is a joy to see her perform since she flips between her moods so effortlessly.
Despite having little screen time in the movie, Sapthami Gowda's portrayal of a person going through a nervous breakdown after working nonstop for three days stands out. Nivedita Bhattacharya and Girija Oak put up equally outstanding performances, displaying vulnerability while putting in endless effort to complete the nearly impossible task at hand.
The movie's background music should have been better, and the editing could use some sharpening. But it succeeds in stirring listeners' feelings. If you want to see something different from the typical masala on the big screen and want to see something that is current and relevant, watch this movie.
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