“Shakuntala Devi”, starring actor Vidya Balan, is slated to be released on July 31 on Amazon Prime Video, the streaming platform announced on yesterday.
The biopic, which features Balan in the titular role of the well-known mathematician, was among the first major movies to head to a digital streaming platform amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown, which has led to the closing of cinema screens across the country.
Balan shared the announcement video on Twitter.
“Experience the story of an extraordinary mind! #ShakuntalaDeviOnPrime premieres July 31, on @PrimeVideoIN,” she captioned the clip.
Written and directed by Anu Menon, the film has been produced by Sony Pictures Networks Productions and Vikram Malhotra.
The screenplay is penned by Menon along with Nayanika Mahtani, while Ishita Moitra is credited for dialogues.
“Shakuntala Devi” also stars Sanya Malhotra, Amit Sadh and Jisshu Sengupta in pivotal roles.
The film was scheduled to be theatrically released on May 8, but was delayed due to COVID-19 outbreak.
Amazon has previously released director Shoojit Sircar’s “Gulabo Sitabo”, with five other films from the south, including “Penguin”, “Law”, “French Biryani”, “Sufiyum Sujathayum”.
More films heading to streaming platforms include “Gunjan Saxena – The Kargil Girl”, which will be available on Netflix, and “Laxxmi Bomb”, “Bhuj: The Pride of India”, “Sadak 2”, “Dil Bechara”, “The Big Bull”, “Khuda Haafiz” and “Lootcase” on Disney+Hotstar. Popularly known as the “Human-Computer”, Shakuntala Devi was an exceptionally talented woman who made it to the 1982 edition of The Guinness Book Of World Records for 13-digit multiplication in 28 seconds. There is a lot more to her achievements than what meets the eye. In this Anu-Menon directed biopic which is scheduled to be out on Amazon Prime Video on July 31, Vidya Balan not only plays the designative role of a renowned math wizard but also of an independent woman and a unique mother showcasing all her virtues and foibles.
The movie revolves around the personal and professional life of Shakuntala Devi, the math genius who not only excelled in her quantitative aptitude but also was a prolific writer. It will also see other stars like Sanya Malhotra, Amit Sadh and Jisshu Sengupta in supporting roles. The official trailer which was dropped on YouTube earlier this month opens up to Vidya who introduces the viewers to her best friend ‘math’ using her high jinks; it has no rules, only magic, she says. It then shows a glimpse of Vidya expressing her desire to attend school to which her father replies, “What will the school teach you, instead, you will end up teaching the school.” The three-minute-long trailer which has been doing rounds on the internet then proceeds to show her journey from India to London, reaching the pinnacle of success by paving her way to the Guinness Book Of World Records. Nevertheless, it also throws light on her struggles to balance her family, particularly her daughter and the growing fame. One gets to see an added element of drama when the daughter, played by Sanya Malhotra asks Vidya “Why can’t you be normal like other moms?” to which she replies “Why should I be normal when I can be amazing?”
In the film, based on the life of the late Shakuntala Devi, who is widely revered as the human computer for her innate ability to make complex mathematical calculations within seconds, Vidya flaunts long hair to a short bob in different phases. Composed by Sachin-Jigar, the peppy song has been sung by Sunidhi Chauhan and penned by Vayu.
The film’s trailer, unveiled last week, gave a sneak peek into the adventures of the protagonist and her love for numbers that she valued above everything else in her life. Shakuntala Devi also stars Sanya Malhotra, Amit Sadh, and Jisshu Sengupta.
Talking about the song launch at a virtual event, Vidya said, “I am very excited to launch the first song from Shakuntala Devi – the movie, with 5000 students of DAV schools and colleges, from over 100 cities. Aptly titled – Pass Nahi to Fail Nahi, this song is really close to my heart as it brings out an interesting way to interact with numbers and tries to drive away the math phobia that many experience in a very fun and peppy way. It felt incredible to share the platform with young minds over a fun and exciting virtual session. A different yet amazing experience as we embrace the new normal. I really hope that the audience will continue to shower love and praise on this song as much as they appreciated the trailer.”
Shalaka Bhosle told media that the film essentially captures the different stages of Shakuntala Devi’s life between 1940s and the 2000s.
“So apart from going through original Shakuntala Devi pictures, we also actually did a lot of research on that era. (Director) Anu Menon told us Shakuntala Devi did a lot of hairstyle changes through the various stages of her life, and we worked accordingly. We did long plaits to short hair in the film. We went through original Shakuntala Devi videos on YouTube and pulled out many references before finalising the looks.”
In terms of ensembles for Vidya, Niharika Bhasin, who did the styling, agrees that with costumes it really gets difficult.
“Normally we sit down and decide hair, make-up, wardrobe together, so all of it comes together to formulate the look of a character. We researched Shakuntala Devi’s lifespan and found out what were the aspects of style and fashion that were prevalent during those decades. We added that to recreate the character,” Bhasin said.
Bhasin added that the research went into “what was happening in India fashion-wise in those times” adding: “She was wealthy enough to follow the fashion or she was in tune with fashion. Therefore, it took a lot to build the character.”
Directed and written by Anu Menon, the film also stars Sanya Malhotra, who will be seen playing the role of Shakuntala’s daughter Anupama, along with Amit Sadh and Jisshu Sengupta in pivotal roles.
The screenplay is written by Menon along with Nayanika Mahtani, while the dialogues are penned by Ishita Moitra.
Shakuntala Devi premieres on Amazon Prime Video on July 3Popularly known as the “Human-Computer”, Shakuntala Devi was an exceptionally talented woman who made it to the 1982 edition of The Guinness Book Of World Records for 13-digit multiplication in 28 seconds. There is a lot more to her achievements than what meets the eye. In this Anu-Menon directed biopic which is scheduled to be out on Amazon Prime Video on July 31, Vidya Balan not only plays the designative role of a renowned math wizard but also of an independent woman and a unique mother showcasing all her virtues and foibles.
The movie revolves around the personal and professional life of Shakuntala Devi, the math genius who not only excelled in her quantitative aptitude but also was a prolific writer. It will also see other stars like Sanya Malhotra, Amit Sadh and Jisshu Sengupta in supporting roles. The official trailer which was dropped on YouTube earlier this month opens up to Vidya who introduces the viewers to her best friend ‘math’ using her high jinks; it has no rules, only magic, she says. It then shows a glimpse of Vidya expressing her desire to attend school to which her father replies, “What will the school teach you, instead, you will end up teaching the school.” The three-minute-long trailer which has been doing rounds on the internet then proceeds to show her journey from India to London, reaching the pinnacle of success by paving her way to the Guinness Book Of World Records. Nevertheless, it also throws light on her struggles to balance her family, particularly her daughter and the growing fame. One gets to see an added element of drama when the daughter, played by Sanya Malhotra asks Vidya “Why can’t you be normal like other moms?” to which she replies “Why should I be normal when I can be amazing?”
