Mathematics or Maths was dreaded by many in school whereas several others were in love with numbers. Mathematical ability is a difficult thing to develop and you will rarely find people sailing in between the extremes of liking or hating maths.
As most people ask- what’s the use of maths, taught in school, in real life? Will it help in war? Well, Yes! Narrating real-life incidents and stories of a great mathematician who changed our lives, several films have been made over the years that will stump you even if you were weak in calculus. As we appreciate and cheer for the VidyaBalan starrer biopic of Shakuntala Devi, the “Human-Computer”, let’s look into some other maths or maths genius based film.
- The Man Who Knew Infinity- based on the tragic story of Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, this film is about his struggle to share his knowledge with the world. As India and Britain failed to acknowledge his abilities, he wrote to Professor Hardy of Cambridge University. Prof. Hardy initially put his letter aside considering it to be a joke but later realized his capabilities and invited him to study at Cambridge. This wasn’t the end of his struggle as he faced racist discrimination from his colleagues and passed away at a young age due to a disease.
- Pi – Have you ever wondered if the reality is actually real? This film is exactly what is stated. Following the story of a paranoid mathematician Max Cohen, this film is all about how he tries to find a Stock Market Pattern and thinks that he will lead to the discovery of a pattern found in this nature and Universe. He starts hallucinating and this complicates the story as it reaches a point where it is difficult to understand what is real and what is not.
- Good Will Hunting – Marking the debut of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, this classic film represents the real-life story of mathematician Will Hunting. He is a peculiar boy who has genius mathematical intellect but lacks motivation and is arrogant. He tries to find a direction in life with the help of a therapist. This film, besides being mathematical, is emotional and funny.
- A Beautiful Mind – This film tells the story of a mathematical genius, Josh Nash who accepts secret work in cryptography and as a result, his life is turned to a nightmare. He is later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. This film raises questions like- Is his job an imaginative figment and how will he be able to control his powerful mind.
- The Imitation Game- This film is based on the life of the brilliant British mathematician Alan Turing and reveals how he led a team for code-cracking to aid their allies in World War II. Under the extreme pressure of international war, he successfully manages to shorten the war and save lives.
So, which one are you planning to binge? Tell us in the comments below!
Manosrija Sarkhel
(1st Year)
MahilaMahaVidhyalaya, Banaras Hindu University
A student of English Hons. at BHU, Manosrija is a passionate writer with a writer’s page on Instagram (@manosrija_04) and a YourQuote profile (That Girl). She is a sincere reader and is interested in poetry, fiction and politics.
