User reviews

After a back to back disappointed Direct Digital Release from Prime Video looks like we kinda have the better one. Still, not the best!

Shakuntala Devi works only when you consider this as a pure Bollywood entertainer instead of looking it as a movie based on a real life person. The movie gets most of the things wrong, that's why the makers haven't claimed this to be a Biopic. Still, I felt they went too much with the "creative liberty"

Vidya Balan as Shakuntala Devi shines in a few moments but also wasn't that convincing, I'm not saying the performance was atrocious. Felt it was more of a "mothers & Daughters" conflict tale than the portrayal of a Mathematical genius.

Sachin-Jigar's music was okayish. Keiko's Cinematography and the color grading of the film was aesthetical and it went quite well with the layered narrative. The 127mins seems really long, especially after the first half of the movie. That's when the monotonous feel hits.

To sum up Shakuntala Devi is yet an another Bollywood Melodramatic Movie with the label of "Inspired by the true events." And definitely not a Re-Watchable worthy!

Shakuntala Devi.Anu Menon.2020

Based on the life journey of profoundly known Human computer aka Shakuntala Devi, the film tries to fit in her 84 glorious years in 120 minutes screen time. The film stabs to touch major life milestones of her life from her genius mathematics career to conflict with her own daughter and to her dilemma in life to her flawed rapport with her husband.

But the film fails to bring out her psyche, mental vows and keeps spinning around her analogous achievements throughout. Many of her vital scenes are mere caricaturish portrayal to make it look breezy and to reflect her sense of humor with no depth in it. No doubt Balan tries hard with her accents, body language, hiatuses but still the film lacks in the clarity of thought.

Extremely confused movie. Is it about Shakuntala Devi? Her daughter? Her conflicted personal life? Feminism? God knows what. Other than Vidya Balan who is a fantastic actress anyway..... it's a low IQ movie about a high IQ person.

To make matters worse, it is not yet a proper biopic in India.When the spice is poured into the biopic, it goes to a place where it is no longer biopic.A person's personal life grows from a good working life.

The mother-daughter relationship has been given much more importance.Shakuntala Devi's huge achievement is covered even if it is a little bit.The last scene seems more dramatic than the big one.Did you need 3 songs in the film?

Makeup and costume are truly admirable.Vidya Balan is just as impeccable as before.But the place of Jishu and Amit has not been given much less?

Vidya Balan, playing the great Human Computer was brilliant considering the movie had many flaws. The first half, or rather the first 45 minutes was all about the equations and her private life which felt a bit of overdone work with quirky lines and a comic atmosphere, rather than being a bit serious.

The second half though, filled the void left by the first half. A relation between a Mother and her daughter, in the midst of achieving and following her ambitions was displayed beautifully. The film, which stays determinedly cheerful even in the grey hues of London, although slides into flatness a couple of times.

The cast was fine and once again Vidya Balan was great in her performance and was a definite show stealer here.

My Rating : 3.5/5

Bollywood doesn't know how to make a biopic; or maybe they don't care as long as they're making money. Direction: The plotline is incoherent, seems like it is taken straight from Wikipedia. The movie just shows events happening without reasons, no story following up to the events. We rarely understand the mathematical genius that is Shakuntala Devi, because there's very little story to it. Much of it is just unnecessary melodrama centring around a mother-daughter relationship. This movie is an insult to one of the greatest India has ever produced. ACTING: Vidya Balan is at her worst, partly because of a lack of plot and tries hard to compensate for it. She's over enthusiastic invariably, grins all the time - something very different from the actual Shakuntala Devi. She's not jovial, she's creepy.

Also, why does a biopic need so many songs? What a waste of effort and purpose.

P.S. They added components of feminism to garner postive reviews.

Last 15 min increased rating atleast by 1 point. Vidya Balan did a superb role again or should say "Vidya Kasam", Sanya Malhotra also did a great part and she's looking more beautiful day by day. Amit Sadh played again a good role.

Whats wrong with bollywood??? Without any masala they cant make a biopic? Misson Mangal was ruined with same drama... Why everything have to be so dramatic? Learn from "The Man Who Knew Infinity" Not watching this movie will be a real tribute to Shakuntala Devi.

#FinalVerdict

Shakuntala Devi proves the adage 'There is no great genius without a mixture of madness' right. A terrific film that stays in your heart, remains etched in your memory and restores your faith in Hindi cinema. Bravo!

Brownie points to Anu Menon-Nayanika Mahtani's dynamic script, Ishita Moitra's razor-sharp dialogue and Antara Lahiri's crisp editing. It is a women's show all the way. Moreover, you cannot draw parallels with any other film. Vidya Kasam!

Shakuntala Devi blends drama, emotions, humour extraordinarily... the icing on the cake being Vidya Balan and Sanya Malhotra's towering acts. The writing holds the spectators' interest and doesn't let you digress from the screen, except for a few minutes.

If Vidya Balan is the driving force on screen, it's director Anu Menon who stands out with a near-perfect film. The concept of Shakuntala Devi is oven-fresh and the handling of a number of sensitive and dramatic moments is noteworthy. Director Menon smartly integrates the songs in the narrative, although, the film would've excelled even without songs. The songs (Sachin-Jigar) are situational. Cinematography (Keiko Nakahara) captures the vibrant colours adroitly. Director Anu Menon balances the rough and smooth incidents in Shakuntala Devi and her daughter's lives beautifully. The culmination to the film is novel. Karan Kulkarni's background score is perfect. You'd have a new phrase to chew on this time: 'Vidya Kasam'.

Shakuntala Devi is unimaginable without Vidya Balan. She can handle the comic sequences with as much flourish as the emotional ones. She is absolutely ravishing. Sanya Malhotra's appearance, mannerisms and dialogue delivery are exemplary. Amit Sadh is excellent yet again. Jisshu Sengupta registers a strong impact. Luca Calvani, Adi Chugh, Sheeba Chadha, Nyla Masood, Prakash Belawadi, Neil Bhoopalam and Purnendu Bhattacharya lend able support. Seher Aly Latif's casting is a lesson indeed and how!

On the whole, Shakuntala Devi is a must-watch for every parent, every child. A remarkable motion picture with an overwhelming message!

Tone, Script & Story: A so called story (not biopic) bringing to attention life of genius Indian mathematician Shakuntala devi scripted around her personal (family) life.

The thing is getting her name in to Guinness book for being a peculiar mathematician seemed to be the peak instance in her life for a fellow fan like me. The scripting however ruined that for me. Apart from that it's a good watch. I liked how so many of her numbers were particularly favorite, some of them being highlighted in movie.

Direction, Screenplay, Cinematography: Justified. Music: Average. Acting: Justified.

Final Verdict: Watch it for numerical fun and distant personality of Shakuntala putting light on same aspect.

Typical Bollywood masala movie. Overdramatic and bizzare script. Just like Bollywood ruined mission mangal they have successfully ruined the movie. At least the makers would have watched the man who knew infinity. Poor script and direction. Acting of Vidya Balan and all others except Santa Malhotra is top class.

Boring and not done justice to the biopic !i dint even feel like completing the movie .

With a peppy start that reminded me of Shaw's Pygmalion, this biopic on Shakuntala Devi is notable for its tour de force of a performance by an elegant and energetic Vidya Balan and the general description of her life and times.

It conveniently glosses over some of the more controversial years of the her life while attributing her bumptious and ambitious nature as a negative influence over her parenting skills. It suggests parenting is a complex concept, and thereby poses questions that have no right or wrong answers. Some of the more memorable dialogues are about parenting and mathematics, which may seem odd to millennials, but they are still delightful to hear. For building substance, there are several arithmetic-solving sequences too.

Anu Menon's well-made execution is good in the beginning, but then it frequently reminds you that it's a feminist film, and the proceedings reek of misandry. It's fun to watch but only till the midpoint which is followed by gooey melodrama (Malhotra hugely disappoints, constantly screams) that is ghastly even by Bollywood standards and just simply attempts to exonerate the central character of glaring issues that it so majestically described a few frames ago. Unfortunately, the film ends with the modern biopic's biggest anathema: hagiography. But it's baffling that Jisshu Sengupta has such an uncanny resemblance with Devi's partner. TN.

This is not a biopic, it's mostly a drama. They starting going on a path another biopic goes but diverted big time in the second half. Both main lead actresses did good in their roles, and the direction though good, it could've gone better if the script was on the great Shakuntala Devi's life with a snap of drama, instead of vice versa.

'Shankuntala Devi' not only explores the mathematician's fascinating relationship with numbers but her relationships beyond it as well - especially her life as a mother and a woman. If Shankuntala Devi's intriguing journey which started off as a three-year-old solving difficult math problems and doing her own shows across schools was not remarkable enough - her fearless and independent spirit as a young woman in the 1950's, who lived by her own rules adds to her dazzling persona. One which she fiercely protects through every stage of her life.'Why should I be normal, when I can be amazing?' Shakuntala Devi (Vidya Balan) asks her daughter Anupama (Sanya Malhotra), when during a skirmish the later questions why she can't be a 'normal' mother.

As the film takes us through Shakuntala Devi's life, it becomes obvious that while her equation with numbers was seamless, her personal equations often ended up being miscalculated. While highlighting her glorious on stage moments during her Mathematics Shows, it also delves into her string of troubled relationships - with her parents, the over riding anger towards her mother for not standing up to her father when it mattered, the men in her life and finally her strained relationship with her daughter.

The first hour of the film keeps one engaged with a fun, entertaining narrative - where in 1950s London, we see an eager and endearing Shakuntala Devi giving it her all and trying to pull off her shows despite all the odds. Her makeover and brushing up of English language skills spearheaded by her Spanish friend Javier (Luca Calvani), sees her undergo a transformation which brings out her vivacious nature. She is soon the toast of parties and a woman who lives her life with abandon. And when love comes in form of Paritosh Banerji (Jisshu Sengupta), she jumps right into the moment, by proposing marriage to him and having a baby soon after. It is when she is finally torn between motherhood and being the woman who she inherently is - a maths whiz, doing shows world over, that she is compelled to make some difficult choices.

Director Anu Menon brings to us the life of a woman whose story is so enthralling that it is hard to look away. However, at times the narrative does seem to be rushed, as though ticking off milestones in Shankuntala Devi's life, one after the other in quick succession (and to be honest there are so many). Also the tonal shift from breezy to a dramatic and emotional one is a bit uneven at times (writers - Anu Menon, Nayanika Mahtani). The film has been well-shot (Keiko Nakahara) keeping the different periods in mind and Balan's looks (Costumes - Niharika Bhasin) through the ages blend in well. While the soundtrack (Sachin-Jigar) is peppered with peppy numbers, the one to linger on is the soulful 'Jhilmil Piya' (singers - Benny Dayal, Monali Thakur, lyrics - Priya Saraiya).

Vidya Balan gets under the skin of her character and simply aces it in the titular role - she gives an unrestrained performance as Shakuntala Devi from the 1950s to 2000s which is captivating to watch, as every stage of her life unfolds. Jisshu Sengupta as the suave and sensitive Paritosh is a delight to watch and Amit Sadh as Anupama's supportive husband, Ajay makes an impact even with his limited screen time. Sanya Malhotra as the slightly older Anupama brings in poise to her character, although her teenage act doesn't quite pass off that easily.

But ultimately 'Shakuntala Devi' is a joy to watch simply to soak in the fascinating life and times of the maths whiz - a human computer faster than an actual computer, the free-spirit, who was all that and so much more! Vidya Kasam, don't give this one a miss.

This is not what you call a biopic. Bollywood doesn't know how to make a biopic rather they show same old drama, over acting, their own fictitious story. They did same Mission Mangal. Watch it only see mother daughter relationship

Explores the mother daughter relationship in a smart strong way ... The maths genius and her troubled personal relationships throughout her life. Go watch it for Vidya Balan. She shines like a star just like Anu Menon's direction...

The main character of this movie is very interesting, funny, and lovable, for all her displays of audaciousness, bravery, and spontaneity.

As someone who knows nothing of the real Shakuntala Devi, I found the movie to be a great and fun experience. With an interesting exploration of pioneering feminism and its effect on the mother-child relationship.

However, as a biopic, the movie doesn't come off as very believable. It's simply too perfect at times, skipping over many of the difficulties of life.

I'd say the movie gets an 8/10 score as feel-good comedy, so if you don't care about its failed pretense at being a biopic, I recommend watching it for the characters and the comedy if nothing else. I laughed out loud more than once. But if you want a good biopic, you should probably not watch this one.

Bad mothers. Worse daughters. Occasional south Indian accents. Unnecessary songs. It's not a movie about mathematics. It's a movie about dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship. Vidya Balan acts like a demented person, always giggling and snorting under uncomfortable or embarrassing circumstances. Sanya Malhotra keeps complaining about everything and is quite annoying. She is mad at her mother for being a psychotic obsessive person. Amit Sadh is exceptional once again. Everyone else is forgettable.

P.S. Mathematics is a lot more than multiplications.

Vidya is terrific as usual. She brings life to the character of Shakuntala Devi. Sanya malhotra is equally brilliant. The film's editing could have been better. One may find fault in the film, but not in Vidya.

Suggestion:- Don't judge Shakuntala Devi after watching this film. This is how she was... Fearless, free spirited and totally unapologetic..

It's appreciable that Hindi film-makers have recently changed the track from the cliche ridden "Masala" flicks to few genuine stories like "Shakuntala Devi." It chronicles the story of a mathematics genius Shakuntala Devi, who has garnered popularity all over the world as a human computer. Aside the turmoils of her family life, the film very well depicts her relationship with her daughter, which offers a redemption by the end.

Well, the narrative feels a bit sprawling which needs repeated watching if you have a shorter attention span. Vidya Balan, once again gives a notable central performance following "Kahaani" and "Tumhari Sulu." Overall, "Shakuntala Devi" is "A Beautiful Mind" equivalent to Hindi movies and should leave a legacy for the years to come.

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 4

What a horrible biopic of such a great personality it turned out to be, vidya BALAN just didn't fit in and the masala treatment given to the movie is too much to bear, indian audience is all grown up, we can watch a movie without dances and cliché drama scenes..

Got to know Shakuntala Devi ma'am other than as a Mathematician. Her struggle was unimaginable. Bollywood is now going in right direction by taking stories of great personality and showcasing Indian talent. Although i hate Bollywood for Nepotism and bad acting, this one stands out.

Good story. Great acting by Vidya Balan and other actors. Direction was bit not upto the mark-could have made it better