When Vidya Balan plays a human computer
The Vidya Balan-led biopic on the wondrous mathematician Shakuntala Devi will be Amazon Prime’s second Hindi release after Gulabo Sitabo.
The Vidya Balan-led biopic on the wondrous mathematician Shakuntala Devi will be Amazon Prime’s second Hindi release after Gulabo Sitabo. The closure of cinemas due to the lockdown meant that the film’s producers were forced to revise their distribution strategy. “We don’t know when the theatres will open up and what the occupancy will be,” said Balan. “The stakeholders decided it [is the] best way forward.”
Now releasing on July 31, Shakuntala Devi focuses on the fascinating life of Devi who was hailed as a “Human Computer” for her ability to crack complex equations at breakneck speed. Balan was thrilled to play a character who “was a true blue feminist and way ahead of her time. She lived life exactly the way she wanted to irrespective of what they called her.”
Also starring Sanya Malhotra, Amit Sadh and Jisshu Sengupta, the Anu Menon-directed drama shines a light on a woman whose genius built people’s curiosity in her. “We need to box people to be able to relate them,” said Balan. “You couldn’t box her.”
(Courtesy of Mail Today)