Amodini's Movie Reviews

Rating : 3.5/5
Genre : Bio-pic
Year : 2020
Running time : 2 hour 7 minutes
Director : Anu Menon
Cast : Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra, Amit Sial, Jishu Sengupta
Kid rating : G
Podcast Review : Here

The film is based on the real life Shakuntala Devi, as perceived by her daughter Anupama Banerji. Given that slant, director Anu Menon focusses the film on Shakuntala Devi’s familial relationships – her rift-ridden one with her parents and the anger which she directs at her mother, as well as her stormy relationship with her daughter. The film thus comes across less as a film about Shakuntala Devi, the famous mathematician, and more about a mother who happens to be a famous mathematician. It is a narrow interpretation of the lady’s life, and it does gloss over some facts, but it is not an uninteresting film.

Shakuntala Devi, born in poverty, is found to be mathematically gifted at a very young age. Her father takes her to different schools where she demonstrates this ability for monetary compensation. She grows up doing these shows and wowing professors and students alike, although she never actually gets any schooling or college education herself. Later, she moves to London where she gains a mentor and fame, and becomes a rich woman.

She marries Paritosh Banerjee (Sengupta) and sets up house with him, also having a daughter Anupama. The marriage breaks up and strong-willed Shakuntala assumes full custody of Anupama. Anupama is then at the mercy of a controlling (and loving) Shakuntala Devi and grows up resenting her mother for separating her from her father. The latter half of the film shows us this tumultuous relationship and its outcome as outspoken and unconventional Shakuntala tries to woo her daughter back and an adult Anupama (Sanya Malhotra whom we saw in the lovely Badhaai Ho) keeps her at arm’s length.

The film is about mothers and daughters and the mother’s need to be seen as a person in her own right. It uses Shakuntala Devi and her daughter’s tale to make this point so the narrative is kind of fitted into this feminist theme. And yes, Shakuntala Devi’s life is viewed through this limited perspective, which is probably why her character seems a little half-baked and displays conflicts. Shakuntala Devi seemed to be a woman ahead of her time with her unconventional, tradition-flouting views – in one scene she is exhorting her daughter to just have a baby with her boyfriend instead of marrying him – and her empathy for the LGBTQ community. Given her progressive thinking, the film blunders through her reasons for writing her book ”The World of Homosexuals” – and her thought process around that, as displayed in the film, seemed so out of character.

This is not a film about Shakuntala Devi really, even though the title does have her name – it is Shakuntala Devi playing her “womanly” roles – daughter, sister, wife, mother. This is annoying, because I can’t name a single film about a famous male personality where the entire film is framed around personal life rather than accomplishments. Now, because the film does this, it doesn’t really show or tell us Devi’s point of view – she travels the world showcasing her mathematical genius, she takes up astrology, she writes books and even tries to run for office, but we don’t really know how she feels about any of this. Every thought and feeling she does have in the film is about her parents, sibling, husband, daughter, friend, and even for those, we don’t have any insights into her character.

Shakuntala Devi is well-paced. There is some going back-and-forth in time and the narrative does feel choppy. All actors do well – especially Vidya and Sanya who carry this film firmly on their shoulders. Director Menon handles the emotional scenes well – some left me teary-eyed. Also the special effects with the numbers, when Shakuntala is doing her “shows” was very well-done. But the biggest flaw in the film is about the lack of depth for its titular character. I am only marginally wiser about Devi’s life than I was before – she was a bold, bright and outspoken woman who questioned the unequal status of women in society, while living her life exactly as she saw fit. But who was she as a mathematician, a writer, an astrologist or political personality? I don’t know. And that is a pity.

Kidwise: Clean.