Vidya Balan is all set for next biopic of Shakuntala Devi, Indian born Maths Genius

After her 2011 movie ‘Dirty Picture’, a biopic of Silk Smitha (a South Indian actress noted for her erotic roles), Vidya Balan is all set for her next biopic on Shakuntala Devi. Set for a summer 2020 release, the film is to be directed by Anu Menon of London, Paris, New York fame, and produced by Vikram Malhotra-led Abundantia Entertainment. Vidya said in a statement "I am extremely excited to play the human computer, Shakuntala Devi, on the big screen. She was truly someone who embraced her individuality, had a strong feminist voice and braved many a naysayer to reach the pinnacle of success.”

BIG DAY 🌞! Excited to play the role of Math Genius, #ShakuntalaDevi. @vikramix @anumenon1805 and I are thrilled to bring to life the true story of 'the human computer' - a small-town Indian girl, who took the world by storm! @Abundantia_Ent
In theatres - Summer 2020 pic.twitter.com/LSCipkhwir

— vidya balan (@vidya_balan) May 8, 2019

Shakuntala Devi is a world acclaimed Maths genius, popularly called the Human Computer. She was an Indian writer and Human Calculator. Her talent earned her a place in the 1982 edition of The Guinness Book of World Records. But there was more to her life than just the numbers she memorised and calculated with ease surprising the world. She was born to a rebellious Kannada Brahmin, who joined Circus and not Temple. On discovering her talent with numbers her father travelled the world demonstrating her arithmetic talents. Arthur Jensen, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, tested her performance of several tasks, including the calculation of large numbers. Examples of the problems presented to Devi included calculating the cube root of 61,629,875 and the seventh root of 170,859,375. Jensen reported that Shakuntala Devi provided the solution to the above mentioned problems (395 and 15, respectively) before Jensen could copy them down in his notebook. At Southern Methodist University, she gave the 23rd root of a 201-digit number in 50 seconds, Her answer was confirmed by calculations done at the US Bureau of Standards by the UNIVAC 1101 computer, for which a special program had to be written to perform such a large calculation. On 18 June 1980, she demonstrated the multiplication of two 13-digit numbers in 28 seconds, this event was recorded in the 1982 Guinness Book of Records. Writer Steven Smith said, "the result is so far superior to anything previously reported that it can only be described as unbelievable."

She was the first advocate of Homosexuality. Being married to a homosexual man made her more sympathetic towards the cause. She wrote the book ‘The World of Homosexuals’, which is considered the first study of homosexuality in India. She called for the decriminalization of Homosexuality in India allowing homosexuals "full and complete acceptance-- not tolerance and sympathy". 

In 1980, she contested in the Lok Sabha elections as an independent, from Mumbai South and from Medak in part of Telangana. In Medak she stood against Indira Gandhi, saying she wanted to "defend the people of Medak from being fooled by Mrs. Gandhi.”

A mathematician, astrologer, activist we do have many sides to Shakuntala Devi's life. This makes movie promising as writers sure have many shades of her extraordinary life to explore and present on the silver screen. Balan, herself is quite a strong actor in her own wake and can sell a movie independently. She is well suited for portraying strong female characters.