PLOT
The production of Covaxin during the COVID-19 pandemic in India is fictionally retold in “The Vaccine War,” providing insight into the efforts of the scientists involved. The movie aims to recognize the work of India’s scientific community, the unsung heroes who were able to develop the country’s own COVID-19 vaccine, known as “Covaxin,” in just seven months.
The plot traces the methodical creation of Covaxin, which was created by Bharat Biotech in conjunction with the ICMR and the National Institute of Virology (NIV). The movie runs a little over two hours and forty minutes for the story it is trying to tell. The first part drags, especially when ICMR and NIV try to negotiate a compromise so they can conduct various experiments on the unique virus. It is a scathing critique of the system and its flaws, even though it ultimately comes out as a one-sided perspective where the media is held responsible for creating a false narrative against vaccination.
REVIEW
This Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri film, which is based on the book Going Viral by Prof. Balram Bhargava, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), seeks to dispel misconceptions and celebrate the contributions of unsung heroes, frontline workers, and tireless scientists who worked nonstop for months to develop India’s domestic COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin. Agnihotri recounts the adversity, struggle, and final triumph of these female scientists who held the conviction that India could also produce its vaccine without relying on outside agencies.
The film’s worst point is how it portrays the media as evil and implies that they are the true virus that needs to be stopped. Internal communication, organizational instability, and conflict are all accurately depicted in the novel.
Technically speaking, the movie is better than Agnihotri’s most recent efforts. Girija Oak Godbole perfectly executes her role as Dr. Nivedita Gupta, ICMR, and is nothing less than a soldier engaged in combat. Nivedita Bhattacharya, who plays Dr. Pragya, NIV, is similarly compelling as she struggles to strike a balance between her work and personal life. The murky areas of Raima Sen’s character, journalist Rohini Singh Dhulia, are subtly highlighted while maintaining a strong screen presence.
Rating: 4/5
It’s fun to see these superb performances, which range from Patekar’s deft body language to Joshi’s verbal delivery. The press conference scene and the speeches that follow from Nana Patekar and Pallavi Joshi’s characters provide the ideal setting for a climax. The movie receives a 4 out of 5 star rating.
