Shakuntala Devi wrote a book on homosexuality, shares Vidya Balan

Vidya Balan is all set to play the late maths wizard Shakuntala Devi in a biopic of the same name, which is due for release later this month.

Most people who have heard of Shakuntala Devi know of her as a 'human computer' who could solve complex numerical problems with blinding speed.

But in an interview with the CNN-News18 television channel’s entertainment editor Rajeev Masand, Vidya Balan revealed how Shakuntala Devi also believed in enjoying life, even if it meant breaking rules.

“She was known as the human computer, but beyond that she was someone who lived life to the fullest,” said Vidya. “Initially when Anu [director Anu Menon] and I spoke about [the project], it was about doing a biopic on the maths genius. We all have a certain perception right, of someone who is a mathematical genius or even interested in maths. You think of that person as being slightly geeky, a bit serious. But what we discovered was a full-bodied person within. [She had a] wicked sense of humour, she laughed easily, she loved dancing, she loved dressing up.”

Elaborating, Vidya said, “Apparently, she and her husband would go to these clubs in Calcutta and spend the night dancing. She was one of those people who lived life fully. She was unapologetic about the fact that she wanted everything from life. She wanted this, that and the other. She loved her food. She had diabetes, but she would have three spoons of sugar in the tea. She was a woman of excesses in that sense.”

What stunned Vidya the most was to find a woman in a bygone era living such a life. “It was so amazing to discover that a woman in the Seventies lived life exactly the way she wanted to. I think that for me was the biggest revelation,” she said.

Not many would also know that Shakuntala Devi was not only aware about homosexuality back then but also wrote a book on it. “She wrote the first book on homosexuality, In the World of Homosexuals. She wrote a book of recipes for men, wrote puzzle books, was an astrologer, entered politics. She wanted to live every moment like it was her last,” said the actress.

The movie will see Sanya Malhotra essay the role of Shakuntala Devi’s daughter while Amit Sadh plays her son-in-law. Bengali actor Jisshu Sengupta plays Shakuntala Devi's husband.

The actress also shared how important Shakuntala Devi considered looking good always. “The interesting thing is she coloured her hair up to the very end. She didn’t want a single white strand. She wore bright lipstick, bright colours, her nails were always painted. You know, she was someone who enjoyed every aspect of life,” she said.

Asked about her own interest in mathematics and numbers, Vidya said she had a healthy relationship with the subject. “I was a fairly good maths student," she told Masand. "I remember geometry in the tenth standard. We had a chapter called Construction which had to do with what they called diagrams and I just couldn’t do it. So, I decided, that those 12 marks I'm going to leave. But the rest of the paper I did really well. Except for those 12 marks, I think I got 63 out of 75.”

The actress said there was a time when she could remember numbers appearing at different places. “I actually have a thing for numbers," she continued. "I used to be crazy about dates, car numbers, phone numbers. People would ask, ‘How can you remember all these things?’ But over time, I lost my touch because now you are using the phone for everything. You just feed in phone numbers. You don't have to remember anything any more. So, this film actually helped me rekindle my love for numbers and I love that.”

While some students love mathematics and top at the subject, there are others who hate the very mention of it. Vidya hopes the perception of such people towards the subject will change after watching Shakuntala Devi.

“I hope this [film] will change people, especially children’s relationship with maths. I discovered some shortcuts, especially through vedic maths, while preparing for this film. I have found that it could make life so much easier for students. So, let's hope that suddenly kids want to do maths and major in maths when they grow up,” she said.

Shakuntala Devi will be released on Amazon Prime Video on 31 July.