Vidya reveals why she agreed to do Shakuntala Devi's biopic
Vidya Balan, who is riding high on the success of her recent release Mission Mangal, has begun preparing for her next, a biopic on maths wizard Shakuntala Devi. Recently a picture of the actress sporting a brown saree and a short bob went viral, indicating that she has started the look test. In an interview, she revealed why she gave the movie her nod.
"She was truly someone who embraced her individuality, had a strong feminist voice and braved many a naysayer to reach the pinnacle of success," Vidya said. Expressing her excitement "to play the human computer, Shakuntala Devi, on the big screen," the actress said that "her magnetic personality and the life that she led," were the reasons why she signed on the dotted line.
"What truly fascinates me is that you wouldn't normally associate a fun person with math, and she completely turns that perception on its head. How incredible that The Math Genius, The Human Computer, was a small-town girl, who took the world by storm," Vidya highlighted.
The Dirty Picture actress confirmed that the bob cut look, which went viral recently, "and my classic South Indian face is a good match for the part." The pictures however were later deleted. Helmed by Anu Menon, Shakuntala Devi's biopic will be bankrolled by Vikram Malhotra. The movie, which was announced this May, is slated to hit the theaters in summer next year.
Apart from portraying Shakuntala, Vidya will also be seen as late PM Indira Gandhi in an upcoming web series. The series would be based on journalist Sagarika Ghose's book, Indira: India's Most Powerful Prime Minister, and will feature the Emergency, Indira's failed marriage and her personal life. Currently, the team is busy gathering material for the project, which will be produced by Ronnie Screwvala.
