Vidya Balan’s Shakuntala Devi to premiere on Amazon Prime Video, skips theatrical release

After Gulabo Sitabo, Vidya Balan’s upcoming biopic on Mathematics genius Shakuntala Devi will release on Amazon Prime Video, skipping theatrical release in the wake of Coronavirus lockdown.
Shakuntala Devi

TLI Staff

New Delhi: Vidya Balan’s upcoming movie based on the life of Mathematics genius Shakuntala Devi will now release directly on digital platform Amazon Prime Video amid the ongoing Coronavirus-induced lockdown.

The date for the world digital premiere of the film is yet to be announced.

“Delighted to announce that you will get to see #ShakuntalaDevi very soon on @PrimeVideoIN with all your loved ones. Thrilled that we will be able to entertain you in these unprecedented times. #WorldPremiereOnPrime #ShakuntalaDeviOnPrime,” Vidya Balan announced this morning on Twitter.

The film produced by Sony Pictures Networks Productions and Abundantia Entertainment and directed by Anu Menon also stars Sanya Malhotra and Jisshu Sengupta.

Vidya plays the titular role of Shakuntala Devi who was born in Karnataka and her genius in Mathematics was first discovered at the age of five when she solved a mathematical problem designed for 18-year-old students.

The film that got completed in November last year was gearing up for theatrical release on May 8, 2020 which doesn’t seem to possible in the current circumstances.

The release of many Bollywood films has been stalled due to the ongoing crisis. Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana ‘s Gulabo Sitabo will also premiere on Amazon Prime Video on June 12.

Meanwhile Producers Guild of India has issued a statement in support of the producers releasing their films on OTT platforms in the wake of looming uncertainty regarding theatre release of the said films. “The Producers Guild would like to emphasise that we are unequivocally and passionately supportive of the theatrical release of films, and a theatrical release will always be the preference for movies tha were conceptualised as cinematic experiences. But these are unprecendented times for all the reasons mentioned above, and it is imperative to see things in that context. For producers to continue to keep “producing the movies that light up our cinema screens, they need to continue to be in business in the first place.”

Check out the detailed statement here:

First look: Vidya Balan looks spitting image of ‘human computer’ Shakuntala Devi