Sanya Malhotra on her role in 'Shakuntala Devi' biopic video interview and pictures... (Amazon Prime Friday, July 31)

In this interview filmed in London last summer when Sanya Malhotra was shooting for the role of Shankuntala Devi, the young upcoming star speaks about her role, what she thinks of London and what it was like to star alongside one of the contemporary icons of Indian cinema, Vidya Balan, who plays the main character, Shakuntala Devi and on whose personality and experiences the film is created.

Malhotra tell us she likes shopping in London and doesn’t like the cold…

You can see the longer version where talks about her career here (or follow the on-screen link)…

More on Shakuntala Devi and Malhotra’s character…

Sanya Malhotra, the co-star in the forthcoming Amazon Prime film movie, ‘Shakuntala Devi’ talks about her role as the star mathematician’s daughter, Anupama Banerjee.
Well-known Bollywood actor Vidya Balan reprises the role of Shakuntala Devi (1929-2013) herself in the biopic film.
Devi is best known in India for her mathematical prowess, and was dubbed ‘ The Human Computer’ as she was able to answer complex mathematical questions faster than any machine (at the time) and her abilities were tested by scientists all over the world.
Her ability to make rapid calculations was first noticed by her father, who was a trapeze artist and lion tamer attached to a circus.
He capitalised on her abilities first staging demonstrations with the circus and then arranging shows on the road and later at the age of six he took her to Mysore University. From a Kannada speaking family, she was born in Bengaluru (Bangalore) and died there.
In the trailer it isn’t clear how far the film will go back but it will cover her time in London and there is father character in the film (Prakash Belawadi).
She initially moved with him to London just before the Second World War – but returned to India in the 1960s and married.
Her marriage did not work out – her husband was a closeted gay man and she went onto write a book about the subject, and was an early proponent of equality and respect for same sex relationships (in India) – at a time when few people acknowledged it or spoke with any semblance of understanding or sympathy.
She also wrote novels and cookbooks as well as several books demystifying maths as a subject and part of her avowed mission was to make maths simple.
The film was made by Abundatia Entertainment and Sony Pictures in India but transferred to streaming giant, Amazon Prime, when it became clear that a theatrical release was not possible in India. Cinemas remain closed there due to the global Coronavirus Pandemic.