Our Relation Beautiful, But Not Normal: Shakuntala Devi’s Daughter
Shakuntala Devi’s daughter Anupama Banerjee opens up about the relationship she shared with her mother.
Shakuntala Devi, starring Vidya Balan and Sanya Malhotra, premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 31 July. The film is directed by Anu Menon, who had previously worked on the web series Four More Shots Please!
Speaking to The Quint, Shakuntala Devi's daughter Anupama Banerjee, played by Sanya Malhotra in the film, said that while her relationship with her mother was beautiful, it was anything but normal. The film delves not just into the story of the mathematician, who earned the moniker ‘the human computer’, but also into the relationship she shared with her daughter.
The director spoke about how she had to tone down the story for the film because Shakuntala Devi lived a life full of drama. “Bollywood is not ready for it,” her daughter remarked.
Anupama also spoke about opening up about the hard times she and her mother went through, and how it had been difficult for her at the outset.
Shakuntala Devi earned the moniker ‘human computer’ for her impressive ability to memorise and compute numbers in record time, a talent that earned her a spot in The Guinness Book of World Records in 1982.
She also authored several books on subjects such as arithmetic, puzzles and astrology during her lifetime. Her book, The World of Homosexuals, is considered to be the first study of homosexuality in India.
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