Watch: ‘Shakuntala Devi’ trailer shows Vidya Balan in a unique avatar

The trailer for the much-awaited film Shakuntala Devi released on Wednesday. Starring Vidya Balan and directed by Anu Menon, the film looks at the life of Shakuntala Devi, the renowned mathematician also known as the ‘human computer’.

The trailer reveals that the film will trace Shakuntala’s childhood, her prowess in mathematics and how she comes to be known world over for it. Vidya Balan performs in a retro avatar, except she has swapped the big ‘80s hairdos for sarees and two long plaits for a good portion of the film. She is seen sporting headscarves and hair bands associated with the time period though.

Interestingly, the film will also focus on Shakuntala’s relationship with her daughter Anupama, whose character is being played by Sanya Malhotra of Bhadhaai Ho fame. The trailer shows the two of them having arguments, with Anupama wanting a ‘normal’ mother, and Shakuntala resenting Anupama for making her leave maths.

“Stepping into the world of Shakuntala Devi was as intimidating as it was exhilarating,” said Vidya Balan in a statement. ”Her story is inspirational and makes you see how if we believe in ourselves, the world is our oyster.”

“I’ve always been fascinated by Shakuntala Devi and felt hers is an incredible story that resonates with today’s world,” said director Anu Menon. “While most of us will be familiar with her natural ability  for math, the film also explores the lesser-known personal story of Shakuntala Devi – a brilliant but vulnerable woman and mother who lived life ahead of her times and on her own terms. I am certain the global audiences will enjoy the film as much as we enjoyed creating it for them.”

Apart from Sanya and Vidya, the film also stars Amit Sadh and Jisshu Sengupta. The film is produced by Sony Pictures Networks Productions and Vikram Malhotra and has music by Sachin-Jigar. The film will release on Amazon Prime Video on July 31.

Shakuntala Devi was born in Bengaluru and came to be known for her unique abilities to memorise and solve complex arithmetic calculations mentally. Her father was a circus artist, and took her on a world tour when he discovered what she could do with numbers and calculations.

Shakuntala entered the Guinness Book of Records in 1982 when she mentally computed the multiplication of two randomly picked 13-digit numbers. She passed away in 2013 after a prolonged illness.