Shakuntala Devi (Movie)

 Shakuntala Devi

          The Shakuntala Devi film is about Shakuntala Devi's life. A great mathematician given the title of "the human computer" uses her talent to do shows and make a living. Coming from a low-income family, Shakuntala conquers the world with her math and has become a common household name. The whole world knows her as a genius who can perform complicated math problems accurately within a matter of seconds. She was faster than the fastest computer in her time. However, what about her personal life? What were her struggles? Which challenges did she face? What did she lose to become what she became? 

          Shakuntala Devi was a woman of vigor and ambition. To date, finding such a talented woman of Shakuntala Devi's caliber, challenging the norms of society is a herculean task. This is not to undermine the woman's efforts like pinjra tod movement and free the nipple movement in which women are rebelling for equal rights as that of a man. It is just that Shakuntala Devi's way of rebelling was more elegant and classy or at least that's how it's portrayed in the movie. Her style of rebelling has been glorified in the movie.

          This great genius's life wasn't a walk in the garden. Any woman who is ahead of her time faces challenges that couldn't be comprehended at that time and sometimes it remains incomprehensible and unrelatable even after her years of demise. No two people can perceive the same challenge in the same way because each may be at a different point in life when they are faced with the challenges. For Shakuntala Devi, the challenges were big and constant. One after the another. However, the biggest of all was being the best mother and still pursue her dream. Is it possible to do both? Is it possible to excel in her field and provide the care the child needs? 

          An exceptional role of Shakuntala Devi's personality and expression is portrayed by Vidya Balan. A must-watch. From genius's talents to her relationship with her daughter and its evolution over time make every second worth it. 

Rating: 4.5/5