“I never lose” says Shakuntala Devi’s character played by Vidya Balan in the film based on the life of the math wizard. Referred to as ‘Human Computer’, Shakuntala Devi often reminded herself and to the world that she was born to win and not lose. But she did face a setback when she tried her hand in politics.

The film very briefly shows Shakuntala Devi countering former prime minister Indira Gandhi’s ‘Garibi Hatao’ slogan and saying “Erase poverty isn’t just an empty slogan for me . I have erased poverty from my own life .Please give me your precious vote, i will remove poverty and unemployment.”

In one if the scenes in the film, the young  Anu, her daughter played by Spandan Chaturvedi, tells her father in a letter that many people think that her mother is the only one who can defeat Indira Gandhi in elections. The scene progresses with the on-screen Shakuntala Devi entering the room, seemingly upset, and when asked by her daughter if she has lost in the elections, she responds, “I never lose Anu”.

But what actually happened in the year 1980?

According to an article by New York Times, Devi ran for the Lok Sabha as an independent candidate from two different localities — Mumbai and Medak (in the present-day state of Telangana) in 1980. In Medak, her opponent was the former prime minister, Indira Gandhi, whom Devi had openly criticized. Her fame, however, didn’t translate into votes, and she finished ninth, while Gandhi went on to win and became prime minister once again.

Politics aside, Indira Gandhi also admired Devi for her achievements. She reportedly told the math wizard that “Out of all the ambassadors for India in abroad you are the best.”

Born in Mysore, Devi’s rebellious streak was visible from the very young age, the film shows. Born with the gift of numbers, she was a firebrand who made it clear from the beginning that she wasn’t going to play by the ‘rulebook’ set by the society. 

Her biopic celebrates her achievements and shows how her father took her to different schools and camps to earn money to feed the family.  Devi, who always craved for a normal school life, a normal childhood, never gave up on her passion despite the hardships and went on to achieve the unthinkable.

The film also shows the not-so-smooth yet full of love relationship between the mathematician and her daughter.