Actor turned director R Madhavan recently said that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) used the Hindu calendar to successfully launch the PSLV C-25 rocket to Mars for India's Mars mission. He was speaking during the promotions of his directorial venture 'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect'.
His comments in Tamil were translated by a Twitter user. He said: "Indian rockets did not have three engines (solid, liquid, and cryogenic) which helps western rockets propel themselves into the Martian orbit. Since India lacked, they used the information in the 'Panchangam' (Hindu Calendar)".
The 'Panchangam' is known as a celestial map with information on planets, their gravitational pull, and deflection of Sun's flares among other aspects. According to the translator, Madhavan further said all such scientific information was perfectly calculated thousands of years ago.
The Twitter user linked the video of Madhavan speaking. He further said when the rocket was launched, it went around the earth, moon, and Jupiter's moon and ricochet into Mars' orbit.
The actor is receiving flak for his comments. Many said it is disappointing to see him acting like "WhatsApp uncle" (someone who spreads false information). Another said the Mangalyaan mission was an achievement for ISRO, and it is not a joke.
Mangalyaan was India's first interplanetary mission which made the country the first to reach the Martian orbit in the first attempt.
The blunder from the actor came as an unpleasant surprise to many because his film 'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect' is a biographical drama based on the life of former ISRO scientist and aerospace engineer Nambi Narayanan.
The scientist had said it was easy for him to work with Madhavan considering he is an engineer himself. "It made telling him my story easier".