Rocket Driver (2024) Prabhakaran “Prabha” is a physics graduate whose financial hardships force him into driving an auto-rickshaw in Chennai, sidelining his passion for rocket science. Frustrated with his circumstances and harboring resentment toward his father, Prabha’s life takes an unexpected turn when he encounters a young boy seeking a ride to Madras University. This boy astonishingly reveals himself as a 14-year-old A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the future renowned scientist and President of India, who has inadvertently time-traveled from 1948 to 2023. Skeptical yet intrigued, Prabha embarks on a journey with young Kalam to uncover the purpose behind this temporal anomaly.
Their quest leads them to Rameswaram, Kalam’s hometown, where they discover an old diary mentioning Annachi, a shop owner to whom Kalam owes one anna. Believing this debt is the key to returning Kalam to his time, they set out to find Annachi’s descendants. Along the way, Prabha’s perspective on life transforms as he witnesses Kalam’s humility and dedication to fulfilling even the smallest of obligations. This heartwarming narrative intertwines themes of ambition, responsibility, and the profound impact of seemingly trivial acts, ultimately inspiring Prabha to reevaluate his own aspirations and relationship with his father.
