Its a biograpic drama of the life of great mathematician Shakuntala Devi, who can solve any given maths problem easily. Shankuntala Devi’ not only explores the mathematician’s fascinating relationship with numbers but her relationships beyond it as well – especially her life as a mother and a woman
As the film takes us through Shakuntala Devi’s life, it becomes obvious that while her equation with numbers was incredible, but her personal equations with family were often ended up being miserable.With every individual she met in life her father,her mother and when she got married the relationship with her husband and also with her daughter it was actually difficult for her to manage or maintain that relationship peace fully. And she was actually facing the problem.
The first half of the movie is quite entertaining and narrative aswell.– where in 1950s London, we see an eager and endearing Shakuntala Devi giving her hundred percent in her every shows despite all the odds. Her makeover and brushing up of English language skills spearheaded by her Spanish friend Javier (Luca Calvani), sees her undergo a transformation which brings out her vivacious nature. She is soon the toast of parties and a woman who lives her life with abandon. And when love comes in form of Paritosh Banerji (Jisshu Sengupta), she jumps right into the moment, by proposing marriage to him and having a baby soon after. It is when she is finally torn between motherhood and being the woman who she inherently is – a maths whiz, doing shows world over, that she is compelled to make some difficult choices.
Vidya Balan gets under the skin of her character and simply aces it in the titular role – she gives an outstanding performance as Shakuntala Devi from the 1950s to 2000s which is captivating to watch, as every stage of her life unfolds. Jisshu Sengupta as the suave and sensitive Paritosh is a delight to watch and Amit Sadh as Anupama’s supportive husband, Ajay makes an impact even with his limited screen time.Sanya Malhotra as the slightly older Anupama brings in poise to her character, although her teenage act doesn’t quite pass off that easily.
But ultimately ‘Shakuntala Devi’ is a joy to watch simply to soak in the fascinating life and times of the maths whiz – a human computer faster than an actual computer, the free-spirit, who was all that and so much more! Vidya
