With most of the action shifting to the OTT platform these days, the audience is now gearing up for the release of some of the much-awaited films as well. And leading the pack is the Vidya Balan starrer biopic, Shakuntala Devi. Set to release on July 31 on Amazon Prime, the biographical drama is based on the life of the writer, and mathematician, Shakuntala Devi, who was also referred to as ‘Human Computer’. The brilliant mathematician had even earned a place in The Guinness Book of World Records in 1982, for the correct calculation of two 13 digit numbers in 28 seconds.
But as we await the release of this biopic, that has Vidya play the renowned mathematician, let’s take a look at some of the best biopics that Bollywood has churned over the years that celebrates the lives of some great minds and academic geniuses:
- Mission Mangal (2019)
Tapsee Pannu, Sonakshi Sinha, Akshay Kumar, and Vidya Balan in Mission Mangal.
Mission Mangal is based on the events leading to India’s mission to Mars, the Mangalyaan. A-Listers from Bollywood – Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Taapsee Pannu, Sonakshi Sinha, Sharman Joshi, among others – are seen in the role of scientists who contributed to the success of the mission.
2. Padman (2018)
Akshay Kumar as Laxmikant struggles to make cheap and hygienic sanitary napkins for his wife (Radhika Apte), to ease her plight during her menstrual cycle. Padman is about Laxmi’s relentless journey to spread awareness about menstrual hygiene among conservative rural women and start manufacturing hygienic napkins at a cheaper and affordable rate. Laxmi’s character is based on the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, a social entrepreneur from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
3. Hawaizaada (2015)
Hawaizaada is inspired by the biography of Shivkar Bapuji Talpade, the developer of India’s first unmanned plane. Set in the British era, this film captures the journey of Shivkar from dropping out of school to building an airplane with the help of Shastri (Mithun Chakraborty) and the secret book of ancient Indian Aeronautics.
4. Ek Doctor ki Maut (1990)
Ek Doctor ki Maut is inspired by the life and work of Dr. Subhas Mukhopadhyay, who created India’s first and the world’s second test-tube baby in 1978. Pankaj Kapur plays Dr. Dipankar Roy, whose reward and recognition for the discovery of a vaccine for leprosy goes to someone else.
5. Super 30 (2019)
The biographical drama film ‘Super 30’ is based on the life of Indian mathematics educator, Anand Kumar, famously known for his Super 30 programme that trains underprivileged children for the IIT entrance exam. The film follows the story of Anand Kumar played by Hrithik Roshan, from a student to a renowned educator, defeating all hardships along the way.
With such inspiring stories to tell, these biopics certainly are a must-watch!