Anu Menon’s film Shakuntala Devi straddles a difficult territory between the public & private lives of a public figure. She goes about this by focussing on the lives of the said famous woman & the other key women who shapes her life, her choices to love, hate, discard & be possessive about them on her terms while she continues to live a life she owns on her merit.
A major focus is on her daughter, and a tale of a strained relationship between the daughter Sanya Malhotra as Anu Banerjee and her mother played by Vidya Balan.
Menon’s motive of making a film on the chinks in the relationship of mothers & daughters is clear from the beginning. If it isn’t, the repetition of mothers & daughters thrice by three different sets of people towards the end should drive it in. Shakuntala Devi & Anu Banerjee happen to be a part of it.
Did she need to feature them to tell this tale of a World Famous Mathematical Genius is a question to ponder about. Since she chooses them the next question is, do we really want to know the inside lives of a world famous personality — the not so always smiling for the camera, sanguine cheerful & vibrant persona on screen & shows? This clash in a fan’s perspective is brought in through the character of Ajay, Anu’s husband brilliantly executed by Amit Sadh.
Then, what is it like to be a famous personality when the camera and mics are not focused on them. Do they carry the fame inside their homes, or do they leave it at the doorstep and walk in to lead “perfectly normal” lives like the rest of the world? What is their definition of ‘normal’?
Vidya Balan owns her role. Sanya Malhotra looks a little weird in her outfits & hairstyles but she brings out the irritation and strain of living in the shadow of a famous mother well. If only the script was meatier then this film would have been an equally engaging one like Menon’s earlier outing Waiting.
One thing I did after watching the film is, I went searching for Shakuntala Devi’s videos to see her perform her genius. Youtube has a few of them ☺
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