Sanya Malhotra has been roped in to play Vidya Balan's daughter in the upcoming biopic on “human computer” Shakuntala Devi. “I am very excited to play the iconic Shakuntala Devi's daughter - Anupama Banerji. Everyone knows the achievements of the math genius Shakuntala Devi. I'm thrilled to bring on screen this dynamic mother - daughter relationship and equally thrilled to work with Vidya Balan. Also looking forward to my first association with Sony Pictures Networks Productions and Vikram Malhotra,” the 'Badhaai Ho' actor said in a statement.
Vidya Balan will be playing the role of Shakuntala Devi. When director Anu Menon first met Banerji, she immediately thought of Sanya to be the perfect person for the role. “When I met my namesake Anupama Banerji, Shakuntala's daughter, I went to find the story of a maths whiz, but through spending time with Anupama, I found the story of a woman who was not just a computer but human too. And I can't think of a better person than Sanya who can capture the love of daughter for her indefinable mother,” she said.
She added, “Sanya instinctively understood the character and her journey - and I can't wait to start shooting with her. I think the audience will fall in love with both Sanya's and Vidya's characters.” The makers had earlier released the first look of Vidya Balan as Shakuntala Devi sporting a saree and short bob.
Sanya is expected to start the shoot for the film by the end of this month. Recently, Vidya shared Shakuntala Devi's first look along with a caption that said, "Excitement is multiplying each day! Time to dig into the 'root' of the mathematical genius."
