a country like India, where the representation of women in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is almost negligible, a woman solving tough Math problems in a fraction of a second on television is a big deal. More surprising when it was happening in the 1950s. Shakuntala Devi was the human-computer who won over the world with her sharp mind and ease in crunching numbers. So, a biopic on her life was obviously in the making.
“Apart from the fact that she was an amazing genius who lived an extraordinary life, the way she lived her life is a big lesson for us in today’s times. She was a woman who despite achieving so much, embraced the fact that she was not perfect. She lived life to the fullest, unapologetically on her terms, embracing the successes and failures of life,” said Menon while sharing why she felt the need to tell the story of Shakuntala Devi.
To make Shakuntala Devi, which stars Vidya Balan in the lead role, Menon met the mathematician’s daughter Anupama Banerji in London and from her, she got to understand the mathematical wizard beyond her genius. After their meeting, the filmmaker “decided the best perspective to tell Shakuntala’s story is through the eyes of her daughter”.
Vidya Balan, who played a scientist in her last film Mission Mangal, was Menon’s first choice to essay the role of Shakuntala Devi. “I wanted someone who could capture Shakuntala Devi’s essence. To me, that was more important than to look physically identical. What I wanted was someone who can get under her skin and get the nuances of this person. So, Vidya might not look exactly like Shakuntala, but she has that feeling of Shakuntala Devi. She has that South Indianess about her. Her attitude towards life is very similar to Shakuntala Devi. And, that has been our approach to storytelling. It’s more important to capture the attitude and essence,” Menon shared.
