Just ahead of the release of her biopic, Guinness World Records has finally felicitated the late mathematics genius, Shakuntala Devi, with an official certificate for the record of Fastest Human Computation.
The certificate was received by Anupama Banerji, daughter of the late Shakuntala Devi.
Shakuntala Devi set the record of the Fastest Human Computation by multiplying two randomly selected 13-digit numbers in just 28 seconds, at Imperial College London on June 18, 1980.
“It is an overwhelming moment for me to be able to receive this honour on my mother’s behalf. To be conferred with the certificate of ‘Fastest human computation’ is an exciting feat that only my mother was capable of,” said Anupama.
She further expressed: “I am glad that I had the opportunity to provide significant inputs while developing the biopic, ‘Shakuntala Devi’, to ensure that people get to know my mother the way she was in real life – full of life and truly amazing. Her mad love and passion for maths is well-known, she always wanted to take this a level ahead. This is exactly the kind of recognition that would have made her extremely happy and thoroughly proud of her mathematical abilities which far surpassed anyone else’s.”
The biopic Shakuntala Devi chronicles the life of Shakuntala Devi as a person and as a math wiz through the eyes of her daughter, and also sets up a portrait of the tumultuous relationship the mother and daughter shared for many years.
The film is written and directed by Anu Menon, and it stars Vidya Balan as Shakuntala Devi with Sanya Malhotra as Anupama Banerji, alongside Jisshu Sengupta as Shakuntala’s husband Paritosh Banerjee and Amit Sadh as Anupama’s husband Ajay Abhay Kumar.
Vidya and Amazon came together to initiate the certification.
“While shooting for ‘Shakuntala Devi’ in London, we would meet Anupama Banerji often. In my conversations with her, I realised that the late Shakuntala Devi, didn’t have an official certification from Guinness World Records — it wasn’t the norm then. (Producer) Vikram Malhotra and I were therefore very keen to make this happen and along with the Amazon Team, we reached out to the Guinness World Records team who provided us with every support. I am thrilled that Anupama will now have the certificate to cherish forever. This is my tribute to the legend,” said Vidya.
She continued: “I am glad to be part of this interesting journey and being able to witness such a ‘1 in a 100 years’ woman who wore multiple hats being felicitated for her exemplary work. To be able to portray someone who continues to inspire us is truly an honour for me!”
On the certification, Craig Glenday, Editor-in-Chief, Guinness World Records, said: Shakuntala Devi’s astounding achievement continues to hold its place in the Guinness World Records archives after so many years. No one has been able to even equal, let alone break, this record which is a testament to both the exceptional power of Ms Devi’s mind and the significance of this particular mental challenge. A global celebration of the life and career of the “Human-Computer” is long overdue, and Guinness World Records is honoured to play its part in championing this unique individual.”
Shakuntala Devi will have its global premiere on July 31 on Amazon Prime Video.
