movie review of vaccine war

• India Today
• Business Today
• Harper's Bazaar
• Brides Today
• Cosmopolitan
• India Today Hindi
• Reader’s Digest
• Aaj Tak Campus

Download App

The Vaccine War Review: Vivek Agnihotri's film is relevant but not without flaws

'the vaccine war' has released in theatres on september 28. but, is this vivek agnihotri film worth a watch read the review to decide..

Listen to Story

• 'The Vaccine War' releases in theatres on September 28.
• The film has been directed by Vivek Agnihotri.
• It stars Nana Patekar, Pallavi Joshi, Raima Sen, Girija Oak, Nivedita Bhattacharya, and Sapthami Gowda in key roles.

Release Date: 28 Sep, 2023

The spread of coronavirus and the ensuing pandemic has affected the lives of each and every person on the planet. There have been many films made on it as well, mostly from the perspective of the plight of various sections of people during the lockdown that was imposed. However, one aspect that was not portrayed, and that does hold importance, is the plight of the scientists who immersed themselves in bringing out India’s own vaccine in a record time of seven months. It is this storyline that Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri explores in ‘The Vaccine War’.

Based on the book by former Director General of The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Dr Balram Bharghav titled ‘Going Viral’, the film explores the challenges that scientists at ICMR and National Virology Institute (NVI) had to face to be able to bring out India’s first indigenous vaccine in a record time of just seven months. What is more remarkable is that most members of the team who developed the vaccine were women.

Watch the trailer here :

The film begins on the first day of 2020 when reports of a virus causing pneumonia-like symptoms first appeared in the news and continues to the present day. Divided into 12 chapters, it addresses each challenge one by one and showcases how the team of scientists managed to overcome them and emerge victorious.

The first half of the film feels tediously long. While it's essential to establish the premise and engage the audience in the film's subject, the editing could have been tighter, and the pacing could have been faster. It felt like an eternity before the intermission, which might leave the general audience bored. However, the second half picks up the pace and maintains it until the end.

From the beginning, Vivek Agnihotri hints at the theory that the virus might have originated from a lab leak but doesn't delve deep into it deliberately. He also manages to strike a balance between the technical aspects and the cinematic experience, not compromising one for the other.

However, a major drawback is his one-sided portrayal of the media and its reporting on India's response to the Covid-19 situation and vaccine development. In one of his shared videos on X, he referred to the film as a kind of 'media war,' suggesting that the coverage of the film's release had been limited, waging one with the film as well.

In an attempt to 'expose' the toolkit provided to media outlets for promoting foreign vaccines and existing lobbying, Agnihotri has portrayed the situation one-sidedly. Did the media as a whole believe that 'India can't do it'? No, right? However, watching the film might give the impression that the entire industry made it their mission to undermine the vaccine and the dedicated scientists behind it.

In fact, Raima Sen, who plays the journalist hell-bent on creating a negative image of the vaccine and weaving a false narrative about it through fake news, seems like the weakest link in the film. She is a brilliant actress and anyone who has seen her in Bengali films would vouch for it. However, she comes off as caricature-ish in this one.

Another aspect that could have been explored better is the psyche of the characters and the agony they were going through. We see less into the lives of the doctors, except for Dr Nivedita (played by Girija Oak). Had that been delved into more, the audience could have felt a deeper connection with the film.

That being said, this film does make you emotional in certain parts. It would hit you right and make you think about how healthcare professionals and scientists did not care about their lives but gave importance to the greater good. It celebrates their sacrifice and drives home the point without the message being all-too-loud.

One very interesting part to note in the film is how Vivek Agnihotri, who has received as much criticism as love for his previous film ‘The Kashmir Files’, has steered clear of the narrative of how minorities added to Covid-19 cases and spread it. In fact, the film mentions Kumbh Mela celebrations, alongside rallies and people letting themselves loose, for the spread of the Delta variant of the virus.

He also sort of balances it out when it comes to the political alignment of the film. There is no doubt that it shows the government in a positive light. While Balram Bharghav (played by Nana Patekar) is seen praising the PM saying he is pro-science. The film also does blame political rallies for being a cause of the spread of the virus during the second wave.

The performances in the film stand out. Nana Patekar proves that he is a powerhouse of talent. He can simply take on any role and make it his own. He effortlessly turns to Dr Bharghav, keeping a straight face but bringing out the emotions with subtlety.

Pallavi Joshi plays Dr Abraham . She plays a Malayali and had the challenge of nailing the accent, which she pulls off well. She shows the desperation of the person who has to deliver the orders from Dr Bharghav, but can not transfer the pressure to the scientists at NVI. She switches her emotions with ease and it is a delight to watch her perform.

Sapthami Gowda has limited screen time in the film, but her portrayal of the nervous breakdown of a person who has been working constantly for 3 days stands out. Equally brilliant are the performances by Nivedita Bhattacharya and Girija Oak, who show vulnerability but all the while work tirelessly to deliver the almost impossible task at hand.

The background score of the film could have been better and the editing should have been crisper. But, it does manage to evoke the emotions of the audiences. Watch this film if you want a change from the regular big-screen masala and have an appetite to consume something that is realistic and relevant.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• About Rotten Tomatoes®
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most Popular Streaming Movies
• Certified Fresh Movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 81% Alien: Romulus Link to Alien: Romulus
• 88% Between the Temples Link to Between the Temples
• 100% Daughters Link to Daughters

New TV Tonight

• 93% Chimp Crazy: Season 1
• 100% Pachinko: Season 2
• -- That '90s Show: Season 3
• -- OceanXplorers: Season 1
• -- Classified: Season 1
• -- Reasonable Doubt: Season 2
• -- The Anonymous: Season 1
• -- Face to Face With Scott Peterson: Season 1
• -- Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• 92% Bad Monkey: Season 1
• 78% Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1
• 96% Industry: Season 3
• 86% Average Joe: Season 1
• 54% The Umbrella Academy: Season 4
• 100% Dark Winds: Season 2
• 100% Supacell: Season 1
• 82% A Good Girl's Guide to Murder: Season 1
• 78% Presumed Innocent: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• 92% Bad Monkey: Season 1 Link to Bad Monkey: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Andrew Garfield Movies and Series Ranked by Tomatometer

30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

Rotten Tomatoes Score Update

Renewed and Cancelled TV Shows 2024

• Trending on RT
• Re-Release Calendar
• Popular TV Shows
• Renewed and Cancelled TV
• Best New Horror Movies

The Vaccine War

Where to watch.

Watch The Vaccine War with a subscription on Hulu.

Audience Reviews

Cast & crew.

Vivek Agnihotri

Nana Patekar

Pallavi Joshi

Nivedita Bhattacharya

Thanks For Rating

Reminder successfully set, select a city.

• Nashik Times
• Aurangabad Times
• Badlapur Times

You can change your city from here. We serve personalized stories based on the selected city

• Edit Profile
• Briefs Movies TV Web Series Lifestyle Trending Visual Stories Music Events Videos Theatre Photos Gaming

Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif step out in style as they visit Zoya Akhtar's house

Ameesha Patel demands rapists be shot dead following Kolkata trainee doctor's rape-murder incident

Natasa Stankovic spends quality time with son Agastya as they chill by the pool

SRK, Aishwarya, Deepika, Ranbir: Behind the scenes moments with Bollywood stars

Khel Khel Mein and Vedaa box office collection day 6: Akshay Kumar's film earns just over Rs 1 crore, John Abraham starrer drops to Rs 60 lakh

Stree 2 box office collection day 6: Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao's film crosses Rs 250 crore mark within one week

• Movie Reviews

Movie Listings

Khel Khel Mein

Aliya Basu Gayab Hai

Ghuspaithiya

Hocus Focus

Auron Mein Kahan Dum T...

Surveen Chawla: Transitioning from shows to Punjabi films

In pics: Ritu Varma dazzles in glamorous outfits

Mom-to-be Rubina Bajwa's Most Surreal Suit Looks

Mithila Purohit wows with these gorgeous pics

Who is Imanvi? Prabhas' co-star in 'Fauji'

Manasi Parekh's most dazzling pics

Sreeleela Teases the Fashion World with Her Calm and Classy Lehenga Collection

Celebrities who passed away during filming

Stunning pictures of Madonna Sebastian

Meenakshi Govindharajan: Pretty pictures of 'Demonte Colony 2' actress

Borderlands

It Ends With Us

The Instigators

Project Silence

Modern Masters: SS Raja...

Mothers' Instinct

Sleeping Dogs

Kottukkaali

Demonte Colony 2

Raghu Thatha

Nanban Oruvan Vantha Pi...

Mazhai Pidikkatha Manit...

Mr.Bachchan

Purushothamudu

Sarangadhariya

Prabuthwa Junior Kalash...

Music Shop Murthy

Bhaje Vaayu Vegam

Adios Amigo

Level Cross

Agathokakological

Nadanna Sambavam

Little Hearts

Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi

Roopanthara

Family Drama

Back Bencherz

Manikbabur Megh: The Cl...

Rajnandini Paul and Ama...

Chaalchitra Ekhon

Nayan Rahasya

Teriya Meriya Hera Pher...

Kudi Haryane Val Di

Shinda Shinda No Papa

Sarabha: Cry For Freedo...

Zindagi Zindabaad

Maujaan Hi Maujaan

Chidiyan Da Chamba

White Punjab

Any How Mitti Pao

Gharat Ganpati

Ek Don Teen Chaar

Danka Hari Namacha

Aamhi Jarange

Vishay Hard

Swargandharva Sudhir Ph...

Naach Ga Ghuma

Juna Furniture

Devra Pe Manva Dole

Dil Ta Pagal Hola

Ittaa Kittaa

Jaishree Krishh

Bushirt T-shirt

Shubh Yatra

• The Vaccine War

Your Rating

Write a review (optional).

• Movie Reviews /

The Vaccine War U

Would you like to review this movie?

Cast & Crew

The Vaccine War Movie Review : Not coronavirus, media’s the real villain in this one-sided medical drama

• Times Of India

The Vaccine War - Official Trailer

The Vaccine War - Teaser

Users' Reviews

Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive . Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.

Get Only 171 days ago

Very good and realistic acting

Razor 178 days ago

There are brilliant movies, there are good movies, average movies and bad movies. Then there is this movie. If there is a word beyond worst movie then this is it. All I can say is it's trash. Even if it was an attempt at propaganda then very poorly done. No wonder it was the biggest flop in theaters.

Dinesh Biswas 206 days ago

Thanks sir for dadicated us this nice movie. unbelievable! its a actually TRUE scientist's are our pride of India ����, and basically then then time our brave lady solger(scientist's) they are spend to much difficulty situation.<br/> And media also work him/her duty, and they are don't deserve anything. Always on they're mind go to where will we go and , how to pick up our TRP .. IGNORE HIM

T Sharan 207 days ago

Excellent movie

Chitra Diwar 218 days ago

very supar hits this movie nice

Visual Stories

Entertainment

Ananya Panday raises the fashion bar in a white bodysuit and colourful leggings

Actors and their odd jobs before they hit big

Shriya Saran looks no less to a bride in her red saree!

Bollywood’s unsung heroes: Spotlight on the lesser-known contributors behind the scenes

8 health benefits of doing cat cow yoga pose

News - The Vaccine War

Vivek Agnihotri on underwhelming reception of 'Vaccine ...

Vivek Agnihotri gets honoured with doctorate by Governo...

Anupam Kher returns to his workout regime after 5 month...

Vivek Agnihotri: People were crying after watching The ...

Anil Sharma clarifies Nana Patekar's slapping video: It...

Nana Patekar SLAPS a fan who approached him for a selfi...

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Get reviews of the latest theatrical releases every week, right in your inbox every Friday.

Thanks for subscribing.

Please Click Here to subscribe other newsletters that may interest you, and you'll always find stories you want to read in your inbox.

Popular Movie Reviews

Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba

Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha

• Jagran Logo
• Web Stories
• Kolkata Doctor Murder Case
• Neet Pg Result 2024
• OTT Releases
• LATEST NEWS
• ENTERTAINMENT
• ELECTION 2024
• UTTAR PRADESH
• MAHARASHTRA
• Entertainment

The Vaccine War Review: Nana Patekar’s Emotional Narrative Is The Only Saviour In This Patriotic Journey Of Vaccine Development

The Vaccine War Review And Rating: The Vaccine War is helmed by The Kashmir Files fame director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri and stars Nana Patekar, Pallavi Joshi, and Anupam Kher in the lead roles. The film explores the journey of the making of India’s first ever vaccine during the crucial times of Covid-19 and tells the tale from the eyes of the ICMR (Indian Council Of Medical Research).

• By Piyali Bhadra
• Published: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 08:30 AM (IST)
• Source: JND
• Google News

Movie Review

• Name : The Vaccine War
• Genre : Informative Drama
• Cast : Nana Patekar, Pallavi Joshi
• Director : Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri
• Producer : Pallavi Joshi
• Writer : Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri
• Release Date : 28 Sep 2023
• Platform : Theatre
• Language : Hindi

The Vaccine War Review : Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri became the talk of the town after the bashing success of ‘The Kashmir Files’ released last year. The film was highly uncomfortable to watch for many due to some controversial aspects of the nation, however now the filmmaker is back with another promising release, ‘The Vaccine War.’ The film talks about the congratulatory journey of the Indian scientists who successfully processed and made India’s first vaccine during the harsh times of Covid-19 in 2020.

‘The Vaccine War’ revolves around the scientists of ICMR (Indian Council Of Medical Research) and NIV (National Institute Of Virology) who helped in the process of launching India’s first indigenous vaccine ‘Covaxin.’ The film showcases a comprehensive overview of the struggles and triumphs faced by the associations and highlights the process primarily.

Watch the official trailer of 'The Vaccine War' attached below:

What Works For The Film:

The film covers 12 segments starting from the outburst in the Wuhan lab to the creation of the Covaxin vaccines in India. Based on true incidents, the script is not exaggerating and only points out the major subjects revolving around only Science without the involvement of politics. ‘The Vaccine War’ is not a commercial seller but an informative documentary in a fast pace motion with minimal dialogues, on point performances, and intriguing background music. The 2 hours and 41 minutes film celebrates the success of those names which managed to save the lives of several Indians without any names celebrating in front of the camera.

Vivek Agnihotri manages to keep it interesting with minimal scientific terms and celebrates the women power behind the creation of a miracle for many. One may enter the theatre expecting to witness the crucial time experienced from the eyes of a common man, however, it showcases only the struggles of a team which are actually the mastermind behind the entire process.

What Didn’t:

The film successfully manages to maintain a balance between presenting facts with an engaging plot line, however the portrayal of the fourth pillar of democracy is intensely cruel. ‘The Vaccine War’ showcases the line of journalists contributing only towards the increase of ‘fake news’ during the crucial time of the pandemic without the delivery of a positive aspect. The makers also call out the profession harshly and compare it with the stream of a terrorist. It is a strong opinion and entirely categorised, creating a false image of the media in front of the society. The angle taken by the director could’ve reached a better arc, however it just demeanes the profession which also has its positive direction.

Also Read:  Fukrey 3 Leaked Online? Twitter Users Share Download Links On WhatsApp But Makers Unveil A Big Twist

Performances :

Nana Patekar makes his comeback after 5 years on the big screen with ‘The Vaccine War’ and manages to create a long-lasting shivering impact as Dr Balram Bhargav. The power his dialogues and body language as a scientist holds in the film is what will make one stick to their seats. Dwelling into the character of the DG of ICMR, the actor breathes into his role in every scene.

Pallavi Joshi essays the role of Dr Priya Abraham, the director of NIV and leads the women power in the film. Stepping into the battle as a female soldier, she and her team showcases the world the real struggle of a woman on field and in her household during the pandemic times.

Raima Sen’s character holds a strong force with the actress dwelling into a negative role and essays the character of Rohini Singh Dhulia, a powerful journalist. Against the Government of India, with her cheap PR and Journalistic skills, she comes on screen showcasing only one side of the fourth pillar of democracy.

Also Read:  Mumbai Diaries Season 2 Teaser Out: Prime Video Announces The Return Of A Riveting Tale Starring Mohit Raina And Konkona Sen Sharma | Watch

      View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri)

Final Thoughts:

The film’s motive is not to earn profit by brewing story but to spread the legal and basic information about the real-life heroes behind the medical staff and government. A huge round of applause for all the characters in the film portraying their role close to reality which will definitely bring chills. The determination of the Indian scientific community oughts to make every Indian proud with the film’s original motto proving its clarity from ‘India CAN’T Do It’ to ‘India CAN Do It.’

More In News

• Sheikh Hasina's Troubles Continue To Mount As Nine New Complaints Filed Against Her In Bangladesh World
• Badlapur Boils: Protestors Pelt Stones After Police Lathi Charge To Disperse Crowds From Railway Track | VIDEO India
• Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case: Bengal Governor To Intervene After Family Complains Of Not Getting FIR Copy India
• Bharat Bandh 2024: What’s Open, What’s Closed? Check Reason For Nationwide Strike On August 21 India
• Jitan Ram Manjhi Backs SC Ruling On SC-ST Sub-Classification, Demands 10% Reservation For 18 Castes In Bihar Bihar

• Entertainment
• Life & Style

To enjoy additional benefits

CONNECT WITH US

‘The Vaccine War’ movie review: Nana Patekar and Pallavi Joshi drive this toolkit of a film

A moving tribute to the scientists who made india’s first indigenous vaccine against covid-19, this vivek agnihotri film, unfortunately, begins to read like an official press release after a point.

September 28, 2023 06:06 pm | Updated 06:25 pm IST

Nana Patekar in ‘‘The Vaccine War’

A timely celebration of Indian scientists’ efforts to create an indigenous vaccine against COVID-19, The Vaccine War turns out to be a fulminating rant against the critics of the present dispensation who raised the speed vs. efficacy issue at the time of vaccine development and often question the government’s commitment to science.

Based on Going Viral , Dr. Balram Bhargava’s lucid account of the making of Covaxin , director Vivek Agnihotri efficiently dramatises the commitment and courage of the former director of the Indian Council of Medical Research and his dedicated team of scientists drawn from the ICMR and the National Institute of Virology.

From questioning China and the World Health Organisation’s ambivalence in not revealing the source of the virus to big pharma trying to hamstring the Indian government’s efforts to be self-reliant in vaccine manufacturing, the film is dotted with conspiracy theories but in its effort to find an antagonist in a real story, Agnihotri crafts a cardboard villain in the form of Rohini Singh Dhulia (Raima Sen), a science editor who deliberately wants to create doubts around the Indian vaccine to bring the government down with the help of a toolkit provided by her foreign sponsors. Placed more as a metaphorical punching bag in the narrative to be pummelled with labels like ‘terrorist’ and ‘swine’, the harangue against Rohini makes the film increasingly sound like it is part of a toolkit to keep critics of the government in check.

‘The Vaccine War’ (Hindi)

The film preaches that we separate the country from the government but the makers become conveniently selective. Without underlining how the country’s robust vaccination programme helped in creating a new vaccine with existing technology, the film suggests that a sense of purpose and an urge to be self-reliant has crept into the system under the current dispensation and underlines how it freed it from red tapism during the pandemic. As a borrowed metaphor, Agnihotri pastes Vanraj Bhatia’s iconic theme, drawn from Rig Veda chants for Shyam Benegal’s Bharat Ek Khoj, based on Jawaharlal Nehru’s The Discovery of India , to indicate the heralding of a new India.

Having said that, Agnihotri gets many things right in making the film an engaging experience for the most part. From creating a sense of dread at the start to generating a mood of urgency and self-belief in the scientific community, the film takes us to the glorious battles fought with majestic microorganisms in laboratories and simultaneously lays out the limitations under which Indian scientists work. The depiction of the ordinary life and sacrifices of the scientists who did extraordinary work during the crisis creates an emotional swell. It seems the personality of Bhargava has been tweaked on screen to suit the strengths of Nana Patekar. Or perhaps Patekar has been cast to personify the ruthless streak of the present dispensation to get the job done. Over the years, Nana has aced the part of a tough taskmaster who wears his love for the country on his sleeve. When he draws parallels between a soldier and a scientist, it reminds us of his Prahaar (1991) days. The low-angle camera shots add to the impact.

Pallavi Joshi in ‘The Vaccine War’

Together with Pallavi Joshi, who plays NIV director Priya Abraham, he provides the film with a credible emotional layering that ensures that the human drama is not lost in scientific jargon. The trusted performers keep mental faculties engaged and tear ducts lubricated as Bhargava tilts towards speed while Abraham is devoted to empiricism and the emotional needs of the team. It is an interesting tussle between the twin goals that scientists grappled with in the initial days of the pandemic. They are ably supported by Nivedita Bhattacharya, Girija Oak, and Mohan Kapoor — playing real-life scientists Pragya Yadav, Nivedita Gupta, and Raman Gangakhedkar — in creating a functional human drama in science labs as Indian scientists set out to understand the deadly virus, isolate it and then work to vanquish it. The narrative is lined with little tales of fortitude like bringing back Indian workers from Iran and finding rhesus monkeys for research. The intermittent sound of breathlessness provides a chilling effect to the otherwise drab background score.

It is when the screenplay starts reading like an official press release in the second half that one realises that Agnihotri’s real battle is not against the virus but to create a narrative against the skeptics, or the ‘ecosystem’ as he calls it, by cherry-picking the headlines.

Asking uncomfortable questions is intrinsic to scientific temper. In a scene, the cabinet secretary played by Anupam Kher tells Bhargava that the Prime Minister believes that only science should prevail but curiously, Bhargava doesn’t discuss the scientific advantages of the claptrap that the government created in the initial days of the pandemic to take on the fear of the virus. The forthright Bhargava doesn’t question how the then-health minister helped in instilling confidence in the scientific community when he shared the stage with the head of an Ayurveda company that promised a cure for COVID-19. It doesn’t tell us that vaccine hesitancy is not unique to Aligarh Muslim University and that it is a global phenomenon. And that the Delhi government was not solely responsible for the shortage of oxygen.

In the last few years, the common man is not only grappling with the COVID pandemic but is also struggling to survive the infodemic that has simultaneously gripped us. Our scientists have found a vaccine to limit the former but the latter is still spreading in different forms. After a promising first half, The Vaccine War feels like smartly adding to the load.

The Vaccine War is currently running in theatres

Related Topics

Indian cinema / Hindi cinema / reviews

Top News Today

• Access 10 free stories every month
• Save stories to read later
• Access to comment on every story
• Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
• Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products

Terms & conditions   |   Institutional Subscriber

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

• THE WEEK TV
• ENTERTAINMENT
• WEB STORIES
• JOBS AND CAREER
• Home Home -->
• Review Review -->
• Movies Movies -->

'The Vaccine War' review: An engaging portrayal of the pandemic

Stellar performances elevate Vivek Agnihotri's film despite its flaws

In 2021, Dr Balram Bhargava, the then director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) which was handling all communication and research around Covid-19 in the pandemic years, published a book titled, Going Viral - Making of Covaxin: The Inside Story.

The book was a tribute to all those involved in the making of Covaxin—India's indigenous vaccine to fight the novel coronavirus that had wreaked havoc in India and the world. It was an ode to the entire medical fraternity that was involved in the making of the vaccine and the frontliners who played a commendable role in ensuring that the dose reached the last man standing, in the remotest of places across the country.

However, it failed to talk about lapses in communication, the critical arguments that questioned the efficacy, impact and the sheer possibility of developing a vaccine in such a short span of time.

Likewise, Vivek Agnihotri's latest film, The Vaccine War, too, toes a similar line. It highlights the seven-month journey that it took for Indian researchers and scientists to bring out an indigenous vaccine, and that it does in a convincing and engrossing way. But it fails to address the other pertinent aspects.

In an earlier interview to THE WEEK, Dr Pragya Yadav, lead scientist at ICMR's National Institute of Virology which was the foremost institution in India to crack the genetic code of the novel coronavirus in India, had recalled the "nightmarish nights" during the initial days of the pandemic when an all-women team at the NIV would spend day and night at the institute in a bid to get cracking on the slightest clues that came in with the first patients landing in India from abroad. This has been beautifully and heartwarmingly captured in the film, and one really gets a good glimpse into how life was back then for our leading researchers and scientists, when the pressure to contain the virus and its spread was at its peak.

However, going forward, the question that remains on the top of our minds is—what really happened? Was this a lab leak? A natural virus transmitted by bats? What really happened? These questions are entirely missing from the narrative.

The portrayal of the media in its coverage of the pandemic and vaccine development does not come across as convincing, and feels as if there was only all-pervading sensationalism everywhere, which is a biased viewpoint. In a bid to highlight the scientific community's exemplary achievements, the then prevailing mood across the country has been shown to be dipped in 'negativity' and 'all pervading pessimism,' that undermines the efforts and capability of its leading researchers. This again, might not be entirely true.

In its story-telling approach, the film offers a rewarding cinematic experience because it entertains and engrosses the viewer. Acting is stellar and the music is apt.

In the role of Dr Priya Abraham, the head at NIV, Pallavi Joshi is convincing. But as a Malayali, she falters. Abraham's mallu accent is difficult to match; yet, in the hat of a scientist, Joshi pulls off the part well.

Raima Sen, in the role of a fake news champion, nails the part. Girija Oak, in the character of Dr Nivedita gives us a glimpse into the lives of the frontline medical workers who braved it all. The film stays clear of any reference to the part played by the minorities in spreading the virus, viz, the Tablighi Jamaat, a religious congregation that took place at Delhi's Nizamuddin Markaz Mosque in early March 2020 and was termed to be a super spreader event. Rather the film mentions how the Kumbh Mela celebrations and rallies during that time added to the spread during the Delta (third) wave.

The film makes its pro-government stance clear in numerous places, unapologetically. There is Dr Bhargava (played by Nana Patekar) praising the PM saying he is “pro-science”.

As a film, The Vaccine War is highly watchable; but, it is definitely not an unbiased portrayal of what happened.

Movie: The Vaccine War

Director: Vivek Agnihotri

Cast: Nana Patekar, Pallavi Joshi, Raima Sen, Girija Oak, Anupam Kher

Rating: 3/5

📣 The Week is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TheWeekmagazine) and stay updated with the latest headlines

A day in Malargue: Encounters and reflections on the Argentine soul

National Book Lovers Day special: A guide to reading smart in this digital age of Booktok and Wattpad

'Kanguva' trailer decoded: What you can expect from this action thriller with Suriya and Bobby Deol in the lead

'Double iSmart' release updates: Director Puri Jagannadh explains why Ram Pothineni was best suited for the role

Editor's pick.

A lesson from Bangladesh: Intimidating students is a recipe for disaster

From food concierge services to in-kitchen dining, culinary experiences get interactive

Meet the youngest person to skydive solo with a prosthetic leg

Equity surge

*Articles appearing as INFOCUS/THE WEEK FOCUS are marketing initiatives

• Firstpost Defence Summit
• Entertainment
• Web Stories
• Health Supplement
• First Sports
• Fast and Factual
• Between The Lines
• Firstpost America

The Vaccine War Movie Review: Nana Patekar makes a comeback with a bang

Vivek Agnihotri’s film stars Nana Patekar, Pallavi Joshi and Raima Sen. The Vaccine War tells the story of India and how the scientists fought against the virus.

Language: Hindi

Director: Vivek Agnihotri

Cast: Nana Patekar, Pallavi Joshi, Raima Sen, Anupam Kher, Nivedita Bhattacharya Sapthami Gowda,  

Vivek Agnihotri’s lens not merely captured the chaos and despair; his film was a spotlight on the resilience of humanity, the spirit of innovation and the power of unity. In a world where countries struggled to find solutions, The Vaccine War showcased India’s remarkable journey from crisis to recovery. The best thing about The Vaccine War is that being India’s first bio-science film, a lot of time was spent on research and in trying to show the trials over mice and monkeys in NIV (National Institute of Virology) labs. There was no effort made by Agnihotri to glamorize the film. And that is a big plus point for a bio-science movie.

But somewhere I feel the filmmaker has been very opinionated like his previous projects. Making Rohini Sigh Dhulia ((Raima Sen) a science journalist look like a villain in the film and pointing figures at the media for miss-reporting was done in bad taste. The Vaccine War has pointed a very harsh finger at the media, which could have been done in a subtle way. It was like generalising media for armchair journalism and fake reportage.

Not all journalists work or produce stories like the way it is shown. They too go to the field and risk their lives to get accurate information. Most journalists during the COVID times were covering the human side of the pandemic. And mind you, there were many who lost their lives too during COVID and the war against the virus. This could have been balanced in the right way which Vivek Agnihotri clearly didn’t.

Here, I am not denying the efforts of the scientists, they definitely did a great job, but in the process of highlighting their efforts, demeaning the media is not right. Some parts of the projection of the media  in the film that I agree upon is that many of the influencers and Youtubers with no background of journalism or science had spread the narrative that our Indigenous vaccine is substandard. This is the problem with today’s media, when celebrities and influencers pretend to know it all and the saddest part is with their fan following and bought followers they create a narrative of their own and most importantly, a narrative that suits them. Again, I feel that the maker of the film should have made a clear demarcation that they are not the real journalists, they are just a bunch of content creators who want to be heard and seen for their personal motives.

The Vaccine War is no doubt a very scientific and bold movie by Vivek Agnihotri which is made with near to accurate facts and figures. It is informative which tells the tales of the real heroes, the scientists who made the Covaxin. There were a lot of things we were not aware of, especially the efforts made by our scientists to make the first Indigenous COVID-19 Vaccine. The film begins with the lockdown to the creation of the first Indigenous vaccine. The entire film has been shown in 12 chapters, starting from the lockdown to the making of the vaccine.

Now coming to Nana Patekar , his comeback performance as a no-nonsense scientist was brilliant. Known for his craft, Patekar has completely nailed the role of ICMR Chief Balram Bhargava. He has shown how toxic the work environment can get. Playing the role of a completely toxic boss who doesn’t acknowledge the efforts of his juniors, he was able to bring out the true emotions of the character. He is a man with an old school thought process that if you appreciate the work of the juniors, they might stop working and believes in pushing his subordinates so that they achieve their goals fast. Not a bad human being, but a little too harsh and stingy when it comes to appreciating the efforts of the juniors.

Balram Bhargava is a workaholic who doesn’t allow his people to get back home on time and doesn’t hesitate to call up at all odd hours, he is truly a man who is going to help you out when others are pointing fingers at you and that is clearly evident in the press conference conducted by the scientists. He believes and says in the film that if you are not able to set fire to the tail of the rocket and send it into the sky, you will have no idea of what we have done!

Rating: 3 out of 5

‘The Vaccine War’ releases in theatres on September 28.

Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect  Firstpost_’s views._

Read all the   Latest News ,   Trending News ,   Cricket News ,   Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .

Lachmi Deb Roy is the entertainment editor of Firtspost, Network18. She reviews films and series with a gender lens. Her interviews are called 'Not Just Bollywood' because she takes huge interest in world cinema. OTT over theatrical releases is her preference unless and until its a King Khan film. She takes interest in fashion, food and art reviews too. see more

Find us on YouTube

Related Stories

Nana Patekar didn't slap a fan taking selfie, reveals Anil Sharma, says, 'I was watching the same video just now...'

Nana Patekar breaks silence on slapping a boy in viral video: 'This happened by mistake…'

Nana Patekar slaps fan trying to take selfie; video leaves fans upset

Vivek Agnihotri announces his next fillm based on 'Mahabharata', asks 'Is Mahabharat history or mythology?'

• You Are At:
• Entertainment News
• The Vaccine War Movie Review: Nana Patekar Makes A Strong Comeback In Vivek Agnihotri's Medical Thriller

The Vaccine War Movie Review: Nana Patekar makes a strong comeback in Vivek Agnihotri's medical thriller

After the kashmir files, vivek agnihotri is back is back with ‘the vaccine war’. the film tells the story of india and how the scientists fought against an epidemic like corona..

• Movie Name: The Vaccine War
• Critics Rating: 3.5 / 5
• Release Date: September 28, 2023
• Director: Vivek Agnihotri
• Genre: Medical thriller

We all have seen many films full of action, romance, and thriller, but this is one such movie which tells the tale of the real heroes of the country. When did corona happen, how did it happen, and how much did it happen? Almost everyone in the country knows that people lost their lives due to corono. But you might not know how much struggle many people had to make the Corona vaccine and how much opposition they had to face during this time. The film has emphasised on women scientists in the country who have made the biggest contribution in making of the vaccine. 

The passion of the country's scientists 

A film is judged on certain parameters be it actor, acting, story, dialogue, music, etc. But this film is based on a true incident so it will be judged on its treatment. If such a film is made worth watching even on subjects like science and Covid vaccine, which keeps you engaged for 2 hours and 41 minutes, then it is indeed a big achievement of the film. Initially, you will definitely find this film boring because it shows what is virus, what is science, and lab testing which only a scientist can understand, but later on seeing the passion of the scientist for the country, you will start finding this film entertaining.

Story of the film:

The film begins with the lockdown. During this time, there is silence on the entire road but the policemen continue to perform their duty and are seen paying attention to ensure that people do not come out of their homes. After this, the story starts from January 1, 2020, when the whole country is celebrating New Year, during this time ICMR Chief Balram Bhargava comes to know about a virus whose patient is found in Wuhan, China. Then the country's fight against an epidemic like Corona begins from here. This entire film has been shown in 12 chapters in which everything from the lockdown to the making of the vaccine and the false stories spread on social media has been told. During this time, the obstacles faced by the scientists were shown. Seeing the passion with which they work, you will definitely feel proud of them.

Characters in the film

In this film, Nana's character is that of a very rude professor who never talks lovingly to the people around him and does not even praise them for their good work. However, in the middle of the film, some such dialogues of Nana Patekar are also heard which will make you laugh. In the film, the character of Pallavi Joshi, who is playing the role of virologist Priya Abraham, the director of the National Institute of Virology (NIV), has also been shown to be very strong. She has a very powerful dialogue in the film when she is seen saying, "If we don't set fire to the tail of a rocket and send it into the sky, you would have no idea of what we have done". And what she says is per cent true. If you do not watch this film, you will never be able to know how a woman, along with managing the house, family, utensils, clothes, cooking, works day and night to fight corona for the country and make the vaccine. Raima Sen has also played the very powerful role of a journalist in this film. At the same time, you will see Anupam Kher in the role of the country's minister who is seen taking many important decisions during the time of Covid. You will also like Anupam Kher's character in this film.

Should you watch this film?

Many more things have been shown in this film in the entire 12 chapters, to know which you must watch this film. This film will not only entertain you but will also increase your knowledge and inspire you.

SC urges doctors to resume work: 'Concerns receiving highest concern, issue of national priority'

'IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack' to release next week, here's everything about the longest shanghai

ICC moves Women's T20 World Cup 2024 to UAE from Bangladesh

Latest News

Paralympics 2024: Satya Prakash Sangwan named Chef de Mission for Indian team for Paris Games

Shan Masood reveals reason for picking all-pace bowling attack for 1st Test vs Bangladesh

Sri Lanka announce playing XI for Manchester Test against England, Rathnayake to make his debut

J-K Assembly polls: Over 90,000 new voters added after special summary revision of electoral rolls

• Aap Ki Adalat
• Aaj Ki Baat
• Kurukshetra
• Haqiqat Kya Hai
• Entertainment

Mamata Banerjee faces backlash over women's work rights guidelines

How unrest in Bangladesh is causing sharp decline in India's medical tourism?

Badlapur Assault Case: Priyanka Chaturvedi reacts with shock and outrage to Badlapur incident

Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case: Supreme Court's key observations in Kolkata rape-murder case

Aaj Ki Baat : Bengal Police under scrutiny, why did SC reprimand state govt?

• Maharashtra
• Uttar Pradesh
• Madhya Pradesh
• West Bengal
• Jammu & Kashmir
• Chhattisgarh

Kolkata rape-murder case: SC orders immediate removal of victim's name, photos from all platforms

Ram Madhav, Kishan Reddy appointed as BJP's election in-charge for Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls

ED officer, suspect in a corruption case, dies by suicide; body found on railway track in Delhi

Supreme Court sets aside Calcutta HC order advising adolescent girls to 'control sexual urges'

• Haryana Election
• J-K Election

Why is PM Modi's upcoming visit to Poland and Ukraine historic? DETAILS

UK: King Charles III pays tribute to victims of Southport stabbing, days after violent riots | WATCH

Pakistan SHOCKER: Sanitation worker rapes 5-year-old girl in hospital, doctors protest for justice

Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina's troubles continue to mount, 'genocide' case filed at Int'l Tribunal

Pakistan: No relief for Imran Khan, fresh corruption case filed against him, wife Bushra Bibi

• Celebrities

Hema Committee report reveals dark truth of sexual harassment in Malayalam film industry

Kareena Kapoor Khan starrer 'The Buckingham Murders' teaser is out now | WATCH

Ananya Pandey starrer 'Call Me Bae' trailer is a colourful ride of emotions and independence | WATCH

Bollywood biopic on star cricketer Yuvraj Singh announced, T-series will produce the film

• Live Scores
• Other Sports

Sri Lanka announce playing XI for Manchester Test against England, Rathnayake to make his debut

Vinesh Phogat likely to contest Haryana assembly polls, claim reports

Robin Uthappa opens up on his battle with depression, says 'Felt I was a burden on people I love'

Apple Watch Series 10: What we know so far about Apple's next-gen smartwatch

Qualcomm launches new Snapdragon chipset to power budget smartphones

CMF Buds Pro 2 Review: Same design, enhanced sound and features

This Jio recharge plan worth Rs 198 offer unlimited 5G data for 14 days: Details here

India gains 73 million new internet subscribers and 78 million broadband users this year: Report

What is lateral entry into bureaucracy and why did UPSC ask to cancel its advertisement? Explained

Champai Soren likely to join BJP | How this may affect Jharkhand political landscape ahead of polls

Why Pakistan celebrates Independence Day on August 14 despite achieving freedom together with India?

Japan all set to pick its next Prime Minister: Who could succeed Fumio Kishida?

What prompted Centre to reconsider draft of Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill? EXPLAINED

Stock market update: Nifty surges above 24,600, Sensex rises 200 points

DDA launches housing schemes: 40,000 discounted flats on offer, prices start at Rs 11.5 lakh

Domestic air traffic increases to 7.3 per cent to 1.29 crore on annual basis in July

Sensex opens green, climbs 243 points, Nifty above 24,600

Foxconn chief defends married women hiring practices in India, aims to set up battery energy unit

Women in Malayalam film industry face sexual abuse, lack of safety: Justice Hema committee report

How two English artists, a century apart, saw the Taj Mahal and what it says about colonial-era art

Harsh Mander: Allowing bureaucrats to join the RSS marks the final burial of India’s ‘steel frame’

‘Angry Young Men’ review: The iconic Salim-Javed dish out warm anecdotes and some insights

Supreme Court overturns Calcutta High Court order asking adolescent girls to control sexual urges

Unsafe by design: Bad infrastructure keeps women watching their backs – fixing this would be a start

‘Kaantaye Kaantaye’ review: An overstretched whodunit

How the Indian upper castes (and the Portuguese) exploited the tribals of Dadra and Nagar Haveli

With billions of dollars in economic activity, international students are a huge boost for the US

What a brutal crime in a Kolkata hospital reveals about the dangers women doctors face in India

‘The Vaccine War’ review: The real battle is elsewhere

Vivek agnihotri’s film stars nana patekar, pallavi joshi and raima sen..

It’s all about the science, the facts, hard data, declares The Vaccine War – a strange stance for a filmmaker known for being highly opinionated.

Self-styled provocateur Vivek Agnihotri turns a triumphalist tale of India’s efforts to create its own vaccine against the coronavirus into a diatribe against the sceptics. The main villain here is journalist Rohini Singh Dhulia (Raima Sen), who tries at every turn to thwart the noble task of creating the Covaxin vaccine to save lives.

Guided by her burning desire to bring down the government, Rohini worked nearly as hard as the Indian Council of Medical Research team that was racing against time to arrest the coronavirus pandemic, the movie suggests.

Rohini is a manufactured element in a film that expends a lot of energy on emphasising the government’s stated policy of self-reliance. The word “atmanirbhar” appears in The Vaccine War more often than did “nayaab” (precious) in the period drama Padmaavat .

But once it is stripped of its rancour against independent journalists (who are described as terrorists and swine), the movie is a reminder of the selflessness that sometimes characterises government service. Agnihotri’s screenplay is based on the 2021 memoir of former Indian Council of Medical Research Director-General Balram Bhargava, Going Viral: Making of Covaxin . Nana Patekar plays Bhargava as an eccentric, no-nonsense workaholic who relentlessly drives himself as well as his staff.

Mealy-mouthed but also committed to his job, Bhargava is backed by a team dominated by women. They include Priya Abraham (Pallavi Joshi), Nivedita Gupta (Girija Oak) and Pragya Yadav (Nivedita Bhattacharya).

The vaccine production process is given the Mission Mangal treatment. For the first hour or so, The Vaccine War is a serviceable dramatisation of the ICMR’s efforts to first understand the coronavirus and then find a solution.

There are tense phone calls, meetings in drab boardrooms and crucial tests in laboratories. Rohini single-handedly supplies the setbacks, constantly carping in clipped tones through partisan reports and videos.

Bharat Biotech, the private company founded by Krishna Ella that manufactured Covaxin, is barely mentioned. No one plays Ella in the film. In fact, he isn’t even depicted as a voice at the other end of the telephone.

After the vaccine battle has been won, the 161-minute movie appears to have concluded. But there is another war to be waged. The concluding act is all about Rohini, who is pilloried as a foreign agent, brutal in her refusal to stick to the “facts” as well the object of suspicion for the “toolkit” that informs her reportage.

The air is thick with conspiracy. Among the theories floated by The Vaccine War is that the coronavirus leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan. One of the culprits for the opposition to Covaxin stretches back to colonial rule. Big Western Pharma – Pfizer, Moderna – is an antagonist too. But the biggest threat to India are ultimately the traitors who refuse to accept what is good for them, the film declares.

The virus itself, when viewed through a microscope, sounds like a Covid-afflicted human gasping for breath. The use of another piece of music is more apposite. The Vaccine War repurposes Vanraj Bhatia’s iconic theme for Shyam Benegal’s television series Bharat Ek Khoj , adapted from Jawaharlal Nehru’s Discovery of India . Bhatia’s chant-based composition, which draws from verses in the Rigveda, heralds a show that explores the dazzling diversity of ideas, personalities and historical events that have shaped the country.

In its new setting, the musical piece becomes the anthem of a rediscovery of India, one in which true progress began only recently. There are moments when The Vaccine War feels like a Health Ministry press release reproduced verbatim. For all the talk of science, there is none of the rigour of Aashiq Abu’s Virus , about a disparate government team pooling resources to fight the Nipah virus in Kerala, or Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion , which uncannily anticipated the coronavirus pandemic.

• The Vaccine War review
• Vivek Agnihotri
• Nana Patekar
• Pallavi Joshi

• Kolkata Rape
• Paper Heist
• Uncovering Hate
• Manipur Conflict
• Climate Change
• Members Only
• Brand Studio
• Entertainment
• The Quint Lab
• Graphic Novels
• Members' Opinion
• South Asians
• Privacy Policy

BECOME A MEMBER

Honest review: why 'the vaccine war' is not the story of india’s scientists, for a film that claims to celebrate india's unsung vaccine heroes, the vaccine war is more opinion than fact..

Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s The Vaccine War claims to be India’s first 'bio-science film.' Whatever that is supposed to mean. 

For a film, and a filmmaker, that claims to bring into focus the uncelebrated heroes of India’s war against the COVID-19 pandemic and the misinformation that surrounded the making of the country’s first indigenous vaccine, The Vaccine War is more opinion than fact.

Actually, scratch that. It’s just propaganda.

Based on the book – Going Viral: Making Covaxin – by former Indian Council of Medical Research Director Dr Balram Bhargava, the film documents the development of the COVID-19 vaccine by the ICMR and Pune’s National Institute of Virology (NIV), in collaboration with Bharat Biotech. 

Nana Patekar plays Dr Bhargava's character as the Director General of the ICMR, while Pallavi Joshi portrays Dr Priya Abraham, the chief of NIV. Girija Oak, Nivedita Bhattacharya, and Anupam Kher also feature in key roles.

But Agnihotri’s film which is meant to celebrate our scientists has more villains than heroes – and is not really about the scientists.

'Charlie Chopra & The Mystery of Solang Valley' Review: Often Hums; Seldom Sings

Villains of The Vaccine War

The very first villain that we encounter barely minutes into the 2 hour 41-minute film is China. We see multiple ICMR scientists go on and on accusing China of unleashing a bio-economic war on the world.

These scientists firmly believe and go on to “factually prove” – without actually sharing any facts – that China combined two viruses to create a bio weapon.

And it's not just China. International agencies and pharmaceutical companies are in this war too.

This brings us to the second villain. Who is running the agenda of these international agencies and pharma lobbies? The media and biased journalists.

Raima Sen plays The Daily Wire’s Science Editor Rohini Singh, who writes false articles, "takes away the dignity" of those who died during the pandemic by selling pictures of their graves, and spreads vaccine hesitancy based on “foreign toolkits” as only a “Bharat ka dushman” would do. 

(Now that I think of it, they've referred to India as Bharat throughout the film, did Agnihotri foreshadow the India vs Bharat debate?)

If the film is to be believed, all journalists are “terrorists” on the payroll of foreign entities who want to bring India down by creating a narrative about ICMR’s “substandard vaccines.”

And finally our third main villain – everyone who’s not the central government in India.

Nana Patekar in a still from the film.

The World Health Organisation is a helpless body. The international agencies won’t approve India’s indigenous vaccines. The Delhi government demanded four times more oxygen than was required. Foreign pharma companies and vaccine manufacturers are blackmailing India.

Everyone is at fault except the Centre. There's one dialogue in the film where the Cabinet Secretary (out of the blue) mentions that India is an atmanirbhar (self-reliant) country.

This, while Agnihotri continually tells the audience that there are “orchestrated campaigns against India” globally and a “deliberate discrimination."

'Fukrey 3' Review: Fukrey Gang Deserves a Break; Bholi Punjaban Deserves More

What The Film Could Actually Have Focused On

If Agnihotri actually wanted to show what the scientists went through while developing the vaccine, there’s so much he could have delved into that he casually mentions in the film.

For instance, the film shows an incident from March 2020 when thousands of Indian citizens got stranded in Iran after a COVID wave overtook the country.

The ICMR-NIV decided to send scientists to Iran to set up testing labs and evacuate Indian citizens from there. But, Indian scientists were stopped at the airport because they didn’t have Rs 1 lakh to pay for excess luggage (testing kits). 

Scientists from Pune’s NIV were made to catch monkeys (for vaccine-related experiments) in the depth of Nagpur’s forests where they were also stuck for many days. 

In fact, in the book that the film is based on, Dr Bhargava wrote:

"A dedicated team from ICMR-NIV travelled to areas of Maharashtra to identify sites for animal capture. The Maharashtra forest department helped to track them down, scanning several square kilometres of forests for days to track the monkeys, before finally finding them near Nagpur."

The scientists were lacking resources at every step and were short staffed. But that was not addressed in any manner in the film.

And you know what’s ironic? Everywhere the journalist Rohini goes, she’s accompanied by 4-5 people as camerapersons, research assistants, etc (this is not how journalists work by the way).

Raima Sen in a still from the film.

But the ICMR and NIV teams are perpetually seen not having enough people. Is the film suggesting that a private media house has more resources than the government of India? Or is the film just avoiding getting to the cause of these issues?

But that’s not it.

There’s also no mention of the human cost of the pandemic, the lockdown, the many anti-poor policies of the government that wreaked havoc…

Legit concerns about irregularities during the development of Covaxin, the loopholes in the data of the different phases of clinical trials, the issue that the vaccine was “rushed” for political purposes are all brushed away, citing them as “anti-national” sentiments.

What the film also avoids talking about is India's reputation as the vaccine manufacturing hub of the world . In fact, Agnihotri keeps telling the audience that no one, in independent India's history, except for the current regime has believed in our scientists or cared about them or paid heed to them.

But that is not really the case. For many years now, Indian pharmaceutical companies have been supplying over 50 percent of the vaccines required globally for different immunisation programmes. Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) is actually the world's largest vaccine manufacturer in the world.

The scientists' achievement is no small feat. But it didn't happen overnight. It was built on years of research and tried-and-tested tools that our health bodies have mastered.

A 2021 report in Germany-based Deutsche Welle (DW) said:

"Indian vaccine manufacturers including SII, Bharat Biotech, Panacea Biotec, Sanofi Shantha Biotechnics, Biological E, Hester Biosciences and Zydus Cadila have an installed capacity to manufacture 8.2 billion doses of different vaccines every year."

And leave aside throwing any light on the many other controversies that surrounded the vaccine trials – CoWIN lapses, privacy and security threats about Aarogya Setu – the film just becomes a huge mush of nationalism, when it could have been about scientific temperament. 

The Great Indian Family Review: Vicky Kaushal Shines Amongst Great Performances

My Final Two Cents…

For what it’s worth, the only point that the film decently puts across is how women scientists were the leading figures who contributed majorly to the development of the vaccine.

But just as they put this point across, they go ahead to comment on how these scientists saved the country while they were also doing dishes at home and “handling the tantrums of their husbands.”

Instead of glorifying this patriarchal expectation of women managing everything, the film could have certainly done things better.

And sorry, but I don’t need a lecture on women’s empowerment from a film that fails to understand basic gender and societal nuances. Or to give the makers a little more credit, I don't need a film that gives a horror background music to a virus to preach to me.

No one is denying that the story of how Indian scientists made a vaccine in record-time needs to be told. But The Vaccine War is not that story.

If anything, it’s science wrapped in nationalistic jingoism. 

Jaane Jaan Review: Kareena Kapoor, Jaideep Ahlawat, Vijay Varma Carry This Film

Twitter & Critics Review 'Laapataa Ladies': Kiran Rao's Film Is 'Delightful'

( At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a membe r . Because the truth is worth it. )

Read Latest News and Breaking News at The Quint, browse for more from entertainment and movie-reviews

Topics:    the vaccine war      vaccine      vivek agnihotri  .

Loading Comments...

NewsApp (Free)

The Vaccine War Review: Absorbing Drama

The Vaccine War leans towards stoking nationalistic fervour but that shouldn't stop you from watching a film that is solemn about the Indian scientific community's achievement, notes Mayur Sanap.

What comes to mind when you think of a pandemic-inspired film?

Is it the health hazard to human population?

Is it the general breakdown of panic-filled society?

Or is it the sense of world crumbling in some strange ways?

COVID-19 propelled films and OTT series that have tried to depict the reality of these challenging times.

In Vivek Agnihotri's The Vaccine War , we see similar events, but it tells the story of hope.

It is about the optimism of a bunch of scientists who work in unison in the face of a chilling doomsday scenario.

The film opens with the nationwide lockdown in April 2020, with public activity at a complete standstill.

The story goes back a few weeks earlier when a deadly virus has just been discovered after multiple deaths begin to surface around the world.

As India stands at the brink of a rising epidemic, scientists prepare the battle to find out what they are dealing with.

'This is a war and we are all soldiers,' says Dr Balram Bhargava, played by Nana Patekar, who sets forth on a remarkable journey with scientists at the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology to create India's first vaccine against the coronavirus.

Agnihotri's political leaning is public knowledge, but here, he takes a surprisingly understated approach unlike his last two films, The Tashkent Files and The Kashmir Files .

He is mostly dignified with his homage to the scientific community, while also balancing the drama that is steeped in realism.

He champions a Nari Shakti message through a bullish team of women scientists working on the vaccine and highlights their strengths and struggles.

But despite its occasional noble intentions, the film does go overboard in some places. This is especially apparent in its third act when it goes with all guns blazing at the so-called tool-kit gang and the widespread of fake stories against the government and the dubious nature of Covaxin.

These scenes feature an hilariously over-the-top Raima Sen, who plays her manipulative journalist character with the antics of a daily soap vamp.

In its attempt to paint an honest and unflinching picture, the plot unravels too much in the climax to the point of excess. This robs the film of emotional weight that it was carrying all along.

Also, for a film that deals with dense subject matter, the lack of nail-biting tension or high stakes is disappointing.

This makes the almost three hour-long runtime feel stretched.

The onus is largely on its impressive cast who use their might to keep the dramatic urgency intact.

The technical merit works to the film's advantage as we constantly feel the gravity of this panic-filled world through its imagery.

Cameraman Udaysingh Mohite's tight close-ups capture the claustrophobia effectively, be it the emotional turmoil of a character or the lab where the vaccine is been created.

Nana Patekar's restrained act with touches of dry wit suits his part very well.

Girija Oak Godbole and Nivedita Bhattacharya play women juggling between home and duty, and both of them render poignant performances.

Anupam Kher does his bit to perfection in his brief appearance as a bureaucrat at the PMO.

pallavi Joshi impresses most as the tearfully sentimental chief scientist. Watch her in scenes as she tries to remain composed when Patekar slices her through his acerbic remarks. Joshi is simply brilliant as a woman-on-the-verge-of-rant, and comes up with the film's best act.

Overall, The Vaccine War is watchable if you can get over its excesses in some parts.

Sure, the film leans towards stoking nationalistic fervour, but that shouldn't stop you from watching a film that is solemn about the Indian scientific community's achievement.

• MOVIE REVIEWS

More like this

'we will be prioritising vaccine only for india', what next for india's vaccine prince.

Bollywood News   |   Current Bollywood News   |   Indian News   |   India Cricket Score   |   Business News India

• by Smriti Kannan
• Film Fugitives

Similar News

Vivek agnihotri.

• by Editorial Desk

• by Zac Ntim
• Deadline Film + TV

• by Desk Editorial

Pragya Kapoor

• by Agency News Desk

• by News Bureau

Balram (IV)

More to explore

Recently viewed.

• TN Navbharat
• Times Drive
• Health and Me
• ET Now Swadesh

entertainment news

The Vaccine War On OTT: When And Where To Watch The Vivek Agnihotri Film

Updated Nov 23, 2023, 11:38 IST

The Vaccine War On OTT: When And Where To Watch The Vivek Agnihotri Film (Image credit: YouTube)

The Vaccine War On Disney+ Hotstar

About the film.

Watch: Asif Ali Becomes Co-Owner Of Kannur Warriors FC, Launches Team Anthem Video

Patti LaBelle Pays Tribute To Fallen Heroes At DNC Day 2 | Performance Video

Naveen Polishetty Opens Up About Depression, Recovery And How He Navigated Through Challenges

Where To Hang Wind Chimes Inside Your Home, According to Vastu

National Award Winning Film Aattam: The Play Gets The Amul Tribute!

Here's The Backstory On How Vijay Deverakonda Named His Clothing Brand Rwdy

Who Is Speaking At DNC Day 2? Complete List Of Speakers And Schedule

RFK JR To Quit Presidential Race? Exploring How It Changes The Trump Vs Harris Contest

Professionals & enthusiasts who write about cinema and television in all their vibrancy. View More

This Was How Imanvi Gave Audition For Her Role In Prabhas’s Film Fauji

Bal Thackeray's Grandson Aaishvary Thackeray Inspired By Michael Jackson's Dance Style

Uorfi Javed To Host Special Premiere Of Follow Kar Lo Yaar For Paparazzi | EXCLUSIVE

‘The Interpreter’ examines good vs. evil, but loses something in translation on N.J. stage | Review

• Updated: Aug. 20, 2024, 3:34 p.m.
• | Published: Aug. 20, 2024, 3:25 p.m.

Hermann Göring (David Tillistrand) faces the Nuremberg trial team (L to R: Mike Marcou, Sam Saravolatz, Yefim Somin) in "The Interpreter" at Oakes Theater in Summit. Joel Allegretti

• Patrick Maley | For NJ Advance Media

Good vs. evil is a classic narrative, and where better to establish such a dynamic than in 1945 Nuremberg where the good Americans prosecuted the evil Nazis for crimes against humanity?

But good vs. evil sacrifices considerable nuance. And “The Interpreter,” a think piece of a play now running at Summit’s Oakes Center Theater and produced by The Theater Project, begs for nuance.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Viola Davis' 99% Rotten Tomatoes War Epic Has Found a New Audience on Prime Video

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

The Big Picture

• The Woman King is the first epic blockbuster to feature leading women both in front of and behind the cameras.
• The movie boasts a 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and features impressive fight scenes.
• Viewers are drawn to the film due to Viola Davis's performance and its celebration of Black womanhood.

It's been a while since war epic The Woman King debuted in theaters, but this week Prime Video subscribers showed up to make it clear that some best-reviwed titles tend to resurface from time to time. The movie hit #8 at the streaming platform over two years after it first came out, and some viewers are just now getting to know about the real-life story of General Nanisca ( Viola Davis ) and the Agojie — the all-female warrior unit that inspired Black Panther's Dora Milaje .

The Woman King is a feat. The epic blockbuster is the first of its kind to feature women in the lead — both in front of and behind the cameras. The story chronicles the training and day-to-day activities of the Agojie, girls who are submitted to severe training in order to grow into fierce warriors who protect the West African kingdom of Dahomey. The story takes place in the early 1900s, and director Gina Prince-Bythewood had to make a miracle out of the $50 million budget in order to make The Woman King feel and look like the epic blockbuster that we see onscreen.

The movie became exceedingly popular among both critics and non-critics. The audience score of The Woman King on Rotten Tomatoes is a whopping 99% , which suggests that viewers greatly responded to it. Now, the popularity of the movie on Prime Video underscores that response, and the movie has the chance of earning another wave of fans as people research its story and get swept up in its fantastic world — and also discovering all the controversies related to the historical events presented in the movie.

Why Is The Woman King So Popular Right Now?

One of the elements that drew viewers is the presence of Viola Davis in the lead. The Oscar winner is among the most-popular actors in the world. She was recently in Air and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes . Aside from Davis, the cast also features incredible talent like Lashana Lynch ( The Marvels ), John Boyega ( They Cloned Tyrone ), Thuso Mbedu ( The Underground Railroad ), Sheila Atim ( All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt ) and Hero Fiennes Tiffin ( After trilogy). The screenplay was written by popular actor Maria Bello ( NCIS ) and What About Brian creator Dana Stevens .

Davis' performance was one of the most praised aspects of The Woman King , but critics also singled out that the movie is a "vibrant, restorative celebration of Black womanhood in all its glory" ( Clarisse Loughrey from Independent ) and that it boasts "impressive fight scenes that are athletic but realistic" ( Tim Grierson from Screen Daily ).

You can stream The Woman King now.

The Woman King

The Woman King is a historical action/drama film about the Kingdom of Dahomey, a powerful nation with an elite warrior force known as the Agojie. The core events follow Nanisca, general of an all-female military unit, and Nawi, an ambitious recruit, who together fight enemies who violated their honor, enslaved their people, and threatened to destroy everything they’ve lived for. Nanisca will prepare her soldiers for a war against the Oyo, another nation that has aligned itself with a group of European slave traders. In addition, Nanisca will seek to free her enslaved people from the Oyo.

• Viola Davis