8/10
INGENIOUS
31 July 2020
#FinalVerdict

Shakuntala Devi proves the adage 'There is no great genius without a mixture of madness' right. A terrific film that stays in your heart, remains etched in your memory and restores your faith in Hindi cinema. Bravo!

Brownie points to Anu Menon-Nayanika Mahtani's dynamic script, Ishita Moitra's razor-sharp dialogue and Antara Lahiri's crisp editing. It is a women's show all the way. Moreover, you cannot draw parallels with any other film. Vidya Kasam!

Shakuntala Devi blends drama, emotions, humour extraordinarily... the icing on the cake being Vidya Balan and Sanya Malhotra's towering acts. The writing holds the spectators' interest and doesn't let you digress from the screen, except for a few minutes.

If Vidya Balan is the driving force on screen, it's director Anu Menon who stands out with a near-perfect film. The concept of Shakuntala Devi is oven-fresh and the handling of a number of sensitive and dramatic moments is noteworthy. Director Menon smartly integrates the songs in the narrative, although, the film would've excelled even without songs. The songs (Sachin-Jigar) are situational. Cinematography (Keiko Nakahara) captures the vibrant colours adroitly. Director Anu Menon balances the rough and smooth incidents in Shakuntala Devi and her daughter's lives beautifully. The culmination to the film is novel. Karan Kulkarni's background score is perfect. You'd have a new phrase to chew on this time: 'Vidya Kasam'.

Shakuntala Devi is unimaginable without Vidya Balan. She can handle the comic sequences with as much flourish as the emotional ones. She is absolutely ravishing. Sanya Malhotra's appearance, mannerisms and dialogue delivery are exemplary. Amit Sadh is excellent yet again. Jisshu Sengupta registers a strong impact. Luca Calvani, Adi Chugh, Sheeba Chadha, Nyla Masood, Prakash Belawadi, Neil Bhoopalam and Purnendu Bhattacharya lend able support. Seher Aly Latif's casting is a lesson indeed and how!

On the whole, Shakuntala Devi is a must-watch for every parent, every child. A remarkable motion picture with an overwhelming message!
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