The trailer of Vidya Balan starrer Shakuntala Devi is out. The film is a biopic of the mathematical genius Shakuntala Devi, who earned the nickname of ‘human computer’ for her dazzling skill with numbers.
In the nearly three-minute video, we see Vidya aka Shakuntala Devi solving difficult problems with an ease that baffles onlookers. From going to London to pursue her ambition to finally marrying the man of her dreams, everything looks like a cakewalk for Shakuntala Devi until she becomes a mother.
Sanya Malhotra plays the role of Shakuntala Devi’s daughter in the biopic. The two are seen at loggerheads as Shakuntala Devi blames motherhood for upending her desires, while Sanya’s character wishes for a ‘normal’ mother. The fact that Shakuntala Devi is not a perfect woman, and most likely not the perfect mother, is quite evident in the film’s trailer. This element of grey to Shakuntala’s character might work in its favour as the audience has been served the quintessential goody-two-shoes biopic multiple times in the recent past. A genius mind can do no wrong is a myth that we have held on to for far too long, and perhaps the Amazon Prime Video film will help establish the fact that we are all as fallible as the other person in the room.
Speaking about playing Shakuntala Devi in the biopic, Vidya Balan said in a statement, “Stepping into the world of Shakuntala Devi was as intimidating as it was exhilarating. Her story is inspirational and makes you see how if we believe in ourselves, the world is our oyster. A direct release on Prime Video will bring Shakuntala Devi one step closer to audiences across the globe where they can watch the movie at their convenience.”
Apart from Vidya Balan and Sanya Malhotra, Shakuntala Devi also features Amit Sadh and Jisshu Sengupta in pivotal parts.
Directed and co-written by Anu Menon, Shakuntala Devi will premiere on Amazon Prime on July 31.
