Media Magick

In Bollywood, whenever a biopic is made it has witnessed great response, admiration and at times polemics – Shakuntala Devi is not much different. I hope it will not attract any controversies. After Paan Singh Tomar, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Mary Kom, Dhoni, Azhar, Saandh Ki Aankh, Sanju and others Shakuntala Devi promises to deliver great entertainment; after all, that’s what the trailer assured. In her last few ventures (Tumhari Sulu and Begum Jaan; minus Mission Mangal), Vidya Balan astonished her audience and won their hearts with her believable and impactful performance. Will she be able to pull off this character of Human-Computer well? Let’s find out.

Trailer: Shakuntala Devi

For any film, I believe, script and dialogues are keys to engagement. And if good the direction is added to it, you don’t need superstars to carry the load of the vehicle. Anu Menon might be known for Four More Shots Please but her body of work includes some finest and very emotional films like X: Past is Present and Waiting; both films were handled remarkably as a storyteller and as director. In Shakuntala Devi, Anu Menon recreated the magic with earnest effort and it looks effortless. Menon showcased the angle of human traits (good or bad that’s the other story); she flawlessly highlighted her characters layer by layer like an onion. The beauty of the Shakuntala Devi is that in the first 12 minutes or so there are no stars, no eye-catchy actors but the narrative and direction are so dazzling that the audience cannot deflect from the screen for even a second. Now, that’s the masterstroke and it guarantees the craft of a director. Hats off to Ishita Moitra for impeccable dialogues.

Vidya Balan adds life to the character that she plays. It looks like the character of Shakuntala Devi was written for her and only her. The enthusiasm in her eyes when conferring about mathematics or resolving sums speaks louder than anything. Vidya Balan maturely handles every phase that she portrays on-screen. There are not one but numerous scenes where she makes her audience go in wonderment. It is indeed a power-packed performance with lots and lots of high-voltage drama, cynicism, and a lot more. As mentioned in the film, it won’t be wrong to say about Vidya that she is not ready for Vanvaas but ready to set Lanka on fire. The audience will love her, hate her and feel for her when watching Shakuntala Devi.

After Dangal and Pataakha, Sanya Malhotra again gives an amazing performance that is a mishmash of a head-strong and confused girl to a self-assured and focused woman. A few of her scenes are very sensibly performed by her. This will be another leap in her career. Jishu Sengupta as Shakuntala Devi’s ex-husband is wonderful. Jishu is natural throughout the film and it does not feel that he is essaying any character; he gives a believable, sweet and great performance. Jishu Sengupta, hands down, is a treat to watch. He brings calmness, composure, intensity and caricature of a sweet man to the screen. Amit Sadh does his part well and in a few scenes excels too.

Shakuntala Devi is definitely a treat to watch and it is all because of the joint efforts from writer, director, actor, set designers and musicians. From the first scene to the last, it is a series of surprises that unfold one after the other. People will look Shakuntala Devi in different ways, she can be hated for being selfish, she can be loved for paving way for other women to go out and live life according to their will and the responses will be a mix; after all, that’s what an individual is all about.