Vidya Balan’s ‘Shakuntala Devi’ Gets A Release Date

Ditching the traditional theatrical release, Vidya Balan starrer Shakuntala Devi premieres directly on the streaming platform Amazon Prime Video.

"Shakuntala Devi", which will see actress Vidya Balan as math genius Shakuntala Devi, will premiere digitally on July 31. Ditching the traditional theatrical release, the film premieres directly on the streaming platform Amazon Prime Video. The streamer announced the release date of the film on Thursday through a fun video featuring Vidya. Taking a note from the storyline, Vidya reveals the release date first in a complex mathematical way, and then simplifies it to share the date.

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Experience the story of an extraordinary mind! #ShakuntalaDeviOnPrime premieres July 31, on @PrimeVideoIN @sanyamalhotra_ @senguptajisshu @theamitsadh @directormenon @sonypicsprodns @ivikramix @abundantiaent @shikhaarif.sharma

A post shared by Vidya Balan (@balanvidya) on Jul 2, 2020 at 6:34am PDT

Helmed and written by Anu Menon, the film is based on the life of Shakuntala, who is widely revered as the human computer for her innate ability to make incredibly complex calculations within seconds. The film also stars Sanya Malhotra, who will be seen playing the role of Shakuntala's daughter Anupama, along with Amit Sadh and Jisshu Sengupta in pivotal roles. The screenplay is written by Menon and Nayanika Mahtani, while the dialogues are penned by Ishita Moitra. "Shakuntala Devi" is among several Bollywood and regional films acquired by Amazon Prime Video for a direct-to-digital release, including the Hindi film "Gulabo Sitabo" starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana, the Tamil-Telugu bilingual "Penguin" starring Keerthy Suresh, and the Tamil film "Pongmagal Vandhal" with actor Jyothika in lead role. At the time direct to OTT release announcement, Menon said: "‘Shakuntala Devi's passion for maths and her determination to spread its joy to the world was unparalleled. She lived ahead of her times and on her own terms -- and as we all strive to change the narrative of the female protagonist on screen, her story is one that calls out to be told." "And there's no one better than Vidya Balan to capture Shakuntala's wit and wisdom. I'm so excited that the film will have its world premiere on the digital platform and everyone will get to experience Shakuntala's incredible journey and Vidya's magical portrayal of her soon," she added.