Vidya Balan’s turn as famous mathematician fails to add up
Bollywood actress Vidya Balan and mathematical genius Shakuntala Devi have a few things in common. They both pave their own way to success, question the norms of society and, as shown in this eponymous biopic about the mathematician, live life on their own terms.
It was not a surprise, then, that Balan, an actress known for tackling a variety of roles, was chosen to play Devi. However, although the trailer held promise, the movie does not quite add up.
For the uninitiated, Devi was an Indian writer, astrologer and “human computer”, whose mathematical talents were recognised in the 1982 edition of Guinness World
Records. She had no formal training, never went to school, had no mentor and clawed her way to success.
Directed by Anu Menon, the film, released on Amazon Prime Video, charts Devi’s journey from her humble beginnings in Bangalore to global fame, travelling around the world to cities including Paris, Rome, San Francisco and London, to display her genius.
Devi could mentally calculate large figures faster than computers, which earned her the “human computer” moniker.
In the film, we see her father, who recognised her talent at a very young age, take her to different schools in the area to perform “maths shows”. She starts to detest her parents – her father for using her as the family’s meal ticket and her mother for being a mute bystander when her sick sister is left to die because the patriarch does not want to spend the money to save her.
In the 1950s, Devi moves to London and secures accommodation in a guesthouse, where, besides the proprietor, she is the only woman. It is in the UK capital that she becomes famous and eventually meets her future husband, Paritosh Banerji (played by Jisshu Sengupta). The two move back to Kolkata in India, where they start a family.
Devi’s daughter, Anupama (played by Dangal actress Sanya Malhotra), grows up to resent her mother, because she is made to travel the world with her for shows. She hates not being able to see her father or be rooted to a single place to go to school. Anupama expresses her wish to “divorce” Devi (who had also cut off her own mother when she left home), and files criminal charges against her, which are eventually settled.
On the surface, the film is about Devi, but it also tackles the issue of complicated mother-daughter relationships. Neither the mathematician nor her daughter want to be like their mothers – while Devi hates her mother for never standing up to her father, Anupama takes issue with her mother never being there for her because she is too busy chasing her career. But eventually, they both realise that their matriarchs are more than simply mothers, and need to be understood as women.
The film also highlights the pitfalls that come with being a successful woman. During an argument with her husband before their separation, Devi highlights how, if their roles were reversed, she would be expected to pack up her life and travel the world with him, after he refuses to do the same for her. The fact that women who are successful are still expected to raise children and run a home is as resonant today as it was in the 1950s.
However, while the film zeroes in on some of the lesser-known aspects of Devi’s life, it does not feel particularly effective. Even though the focus is on Balan, she comes across as trying too hard. Some of her jokes fall flat, as does her forced South Indian accent. A smattering of one-liners, although written with good intent, come across as too cheesy, and it does not help that Balan is clearly overacting in some scenes.
The music is not much to write home about either, and none of the other characters make a lasting impression, apart from Malhotra, who does not disappoint.
If you can discount all of the above, Shakuntala Devi is a breezy weekend watch that offers a glimpse into the life of a woman who made numbers seem like magic.
Shakuntala Devi was a recordbreaking Indian writer, astrologer and ‘human computer’