31 July 2020 saw the release of the Vidya Balan starrer based on the life of well-known math genius Shakuntala Devi released on Amazon Prime. Another film released digitally in these times when theatres continue to remain shut is Raat Akeli Hai starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte on Netflix. While Shakuntala Devi is a biopic that centres on an unusual genius and her tumultuous relationships, Raat Akeli Hai is a riveting and atmospheric crime drama marked by great performances.
Vidya Balan plays the titular role of the woman who was known as the human computer in spite of having received no formal education. Jisshu Sengupta is Paritosh Banerji, Shakuntala's husband in the film, Sanya Malhotra plays their daughter Anupama and Amit Sadh plays Anupama's husband.
The real Shakuntala Devi was an internationally acclaimed whiz with numbers, a world record holder. She also had a strained relationship with her daughter and wrote the book The World of Homosexuals. Many of the film's aspects are true to life.
The film garnered largely positive reviews, however as we may expect with any Bollywood biopic there is loads of added drama. The movie tends to strip a complex character of much of its nuance.
The movie speaks about a brilliant woman who challenged the patriarchal norms of her times and lived life on her own terms. In that sense it is progressive and makes no apologies for women who choose to prioritise themselves and their ambitions over societal expectations.
The movie pivots principally about the mother-daughter relationships (Shakuntala Devi's relationships with her own mother as well as her daughter) and makes for good viewing as such.
The fact that she championed the rights of homosexuals as far back as the 1970s is also glossed over.
The film does have a rather simplistic narrative; probably to cater to a wider audience. It is nevertheless worth the watch – to know a bit, if not everything about a truly remarkable woman and her life.
A rich, elderly patriarch of a household is murdered on the very night of his second marriage to a young woman. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is Inspector Jatil Yadav and Radhika Apte is the young widow towards whom the needle of suspicion points.
This is a whodunit on the face of it, but is much more. The details emerge slowly; the movie never fails to grip. The characters and their milieu are authentic and very convincingly portrayed.
Those who enjoy a good climax to their films will enjoy Raat Akeli Hai.
Many have compared this movie with the Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Don Johnson starrer Knives Out another hugely entertaining and ingenious mystery that keeps viewers guessing till the end.
Film is undoubtedly dark but obsessively watchable. The performances are excellent, the story gripping and the direction excellent.
Both films, Shakuntala Devi & Raat Akeli Hai have some very interesting female characters – women who hold their own and retain agency even in a male-dominated world. As such these are not just entertaining films but also stories that linger in the mind; making us think and maybe even question.
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