Shakuntala Devi Review: Bollywoodised execution of a great premise

It is the start of an all-new dynamic in cinema which is completely focused around the digital platforms right now since theatrical release is a far fetched thought at the moment. After the release of Dil Bechara on 24th of July, there are going to be big exclusive releases on platforms like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hotstar etc and Shakuntala Devi is one of those releases as it has been released on Prime on 31st of July i.e. yesterday. Everyone was hoping for great content and great performance on the part of Vidya Balan. Anu Menon, the director of the film, happens to be a really skilled yet underrated director who no one really talks about.

 The trailer of the film was a tad bit disappointing considering the fact that there was less focus on the professional life of Shakuntala Devi and more on the personal aspects which were a matter of concern for sure. Did the film prove its antics wrong? Let's find out:-

The Goods 

The performances 

One thing that cannot be discounted in Shakuntala Devi review is the fact that performances were really good on everyone's part. Jisshu Sengupta played the role of Shakuntala Devi's love interest turned husband turned ex-husband and he put on an effortless performance throughout the film. Sanya Malhotra looked extremely beautiful in her part as the daughter of Vidya and looked very restrained herself. I feel it is high time they provide her roles where she is the highlight of the film consistently. Amit Sadh is fresh off from his best performance ever in Breathe: Into the Shadows and he has done an impeccable job here too. Other supporting actors like Prakash Belawadi, Sheeba Chaddha, Neil Bhoopalam, Luca Calvani played their part really well too.

Vidya Balan played the part of Shakuntala Devi and she has done an outstanding job in most part. There were a couple of times when I felt she kind of overplayed her role but more often than not, she killed it and conveyed all the emotions she could extract out of the character. It has to go down as one of her best performances ever!

The message 

The film focuses on the fact that a woman does not "need" a man in her life, at least that is what Shakuntala Devi used to feel and that is exactly what has been conveyed through the film as well. Her take on homosexuality especially in a day and age she belonged to has to be commended.

 Although she was a genius mathematician and a personality known all across the world, she herself had a lot of flaws and that has been picturized beautifully here. It sends a nice message to all its viewers that no matter how much you grow professionally in your life and the name, fame that you get, you are never flawless as a person and you have to continue improving yourself from time to time. This is something that really touched my heart. 

The Bads

Screenplay 

If you have seen previous films of Anu Menon, you know how well the screenplay has worked in both the films. In this one, however, I felt the screenplay was all over the place and very incoherent. They did switch timelines from time to time and in no particular order which might squeeze people's mind. The biggest problem with the concept of the film is that they have switched through too many timelines throughout but they never lent it right.

 They could have focused more on Shakuntala Devi and her relationship with her mother which happens to be the strongest point of the film as the entire project is based around it. They never gave it too much time. I personally believe they should have shown a more detailed side of her growth as a mathematician rather than focusing solely on daughter-mother perspective and the women empowerment thing they did throughout the project. If they told the biopic truest to its nature, it would have served the same cause. 

Editing and music 

This is a major problem with Shakuntala Devi which takes away a lot from it. The editing was a problem with Dil Bechara too and editing has always been a problem in Hindi cinema. Interestingly, it is the other way around in comparison to the theatrical release of the film. When movies used to release in theatres, the films used to be stretched too much to bore the hell out of the audience. With digital releases, they are cutting down the runtime of the film. This film needed at least 10 or 15 minutes more in order to show her growth as a mathematician. The music was a problem for me because it did not suit the narrative at all and in fact, it hindered the focus of audience way too much. 

Less biopic more drama 

It was treated like any other Bollywood film which is what disappoints me the most. When you watch a biopic of someone like MSD, you already know the professional side of things so it doesn't really disappoint you when you get to watch a lot of the stuff from his personal life. But barely anyone knows much about Shakuntala Devi and it is a story that needs to be told.

 She was recognized all over the world but her own country criticized her for speaking in favour of homosexuality and doing things as per her choice and succeeding almost every time. I wish they showed more about how she became an astrologer all of a sudden and her take on homosexuality should have been stretched too. But the makers decided to keep it Bollywood-ish with drama and drama every other minute. 

Conclusion

It is an entertaining watch at so many levels and the film might connect with the masses too since the dialogues are good, the performances are amazing and the film doesn't really bore you. But from a purely cinematic experience and having watched the best of the best biopics, this film is a letdown on so many levels! 

Did you enjoy the film? Do you agree with my opinion about it? Write below in the comments section!