Stephen Fry the British actor, writer and director and Dev Benegal will be co-writing and co-directing an international feature film on the life of the genius Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan and his friendship with the Cambridge math don G.H. Hardy.
Read the full press release at August Entertainment
Also visit the film’s official website RamanujanTheFilm
No related posts.
Great thinking and idea and should be a great movie.
We need to inspire young Indians about Ramanujan’s work in this changes times. Both India and West will truly be benefited from this film. The west will try to recognise the indian talents and would help the globolization effort.
Ultimatley educating and providing the indian masses is to the benefit of the West and the World.
Hi
I saw an article in BBC about Benegal producing a film on Srinivasa Ramanujan and the article also stated that he could not find any relatives of Srinivasa Ramanujan.
My grandfathers (S. Thirunarayanan) elder brother was Srinivasa Ramanujan. I would definitely would like to help in anyway in producing this movie.
Please contact me and i would definitely see how i would be able to help on this noble initiative.
Thanks and Regards
vasu
BBC —Film to celebrate maths genius http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4811920.stm. Lets hope someone from Tamil Nadu or a Tamil will be selected to play the role of late Mr. Srinavasa Ramanujan.
Fantastic
Finally films on the real Indian Heros are being made. The next in line should be a good film on the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Hello Dev,
My sincere thanks to you and your team on this effort to pull this venture together. This is going to be great thing. I would like to be a part of it. Let me know if you are going to have any auditions.
Uday A. Kulkarni, Ph.D.
Hi
Would you need researchers to help you with the script etc?
Couple of notes:
(1) Subrahmanyam Chandrasekhar’s biography by Kameshwar Wali mentions visiting Ramanujan’s widow and giving her some money. In typical fashion, she is rather oblivious to his mathematical insights, and complains about the penury of her existence, the grinding tenor of existence barely above the poverty line and her apprehension that others were making money of Ramanujan’s work and she got nothing out of it.
(2) Ashish Nandy has a great chapter on his reflections on Ramanujan—and how despite the overt brilliance; he was largely a nervous wreck rattling between his imperious mother and the fledgling (sexual??) love for his wife amidst the Brahminnical puritanism in Kumbakonam.
etc etc…
Good luck and let me know if you are keen on finding researchers/writers during the pre/during/post production process.
Cheers… TK
Dear Stephen and Dev
Greetings of Sankar from Calgary, Canada. I am seeking your help on behalf of my BALA GURUS, readers of the popular Science magazine Science India. I am the overseas editor of Science India, a national science monthly targeted towards students of 8th to 12th grade. The magazine is published by Swadeshi Science Movement or SSM (http://www.ssmkerala.org/) from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Science India is no commercial magazine, but is run by Nishkamakarmis who put on other VESHAMS for their UDARANIMIRTHAM. The objective of Science India is to instill a scientific spirit among the young boys and girls of India and elsewhere and we are doing our best.
(http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040410/edu.htm). Recently SSM was
honored with the prestigious “Jawaharlal Nehru Prize” for the year 2005-2006, instituted by Indian Science Congress for popularization of science. This is for the first time a Kerala based NGO being honored by the Indian Science Congress. The award includes a cash amount of Rs. One lakh and a plaque.
I read about your attempt to make a film on the life of the great Indian genius Srinivasa Ramanujan (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4811920.stm). I wish you all the luck. I am sure you will not add too much Masala to the film. My Balagurus the young readers of Science India would welcome the movie and I would appreciate if you could write a short article on the movie (What motivated you).
Looking forward to your reply.
Cheers
Sankar
Sankar Iyer
Overseas Editor, Science India
1111 Citadel Terrace
Calgary AB T3G 3X3
Canada
Tel: 403 284 3593
E-mail: iyer@ucalgary.ca
Adhikaprasangi2003@yahoo.ca
Dear Dev,
I read about your good intentions to document a film on the Indian Math Genius, if you are willing, I would be interested in taking up the role of the infinite genius. I am located in Chicago,US and hail from the Indian southern state of Kerala, have no prevalent past acting exeperience so far, but optimistic of doing a job well done..
Thank you,
Gijo
http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/interview/6037.html
I think actor surya would be ideal for this role
Doing a film on Ramanujan is a fabulous idea for a number of reason. The question remains, what’s the hook to draw mathophobic viewers into this intellectual romance? Surely not illness (a la Beautiful Mind, Proof, Pi) or social maladjustment (Good Will Hunting). Less derivative might be an exploration of discovery and collaboration, as in Copenhagen. An third, more ambitious, notion, though probably not one that’s particularly commercially attractive, is to tell the story from Ramanujan’s viewpoint.
Virtually everything I’ve read on Ramanujan’s life seems to approach him as exotica (Hardy, Littlewood and other Western mathematicians) or as a hero (Indian writers). Choosing one view or the other, it is surely tempting to film a smaller-scale Gandhi or Topsy-Turvy. But an impressionistic experience from Ramanujan’s point of view might be more fresh… how did this proud iyenger boy react to his failure in college? what did his mother really dream about his crossing kala pani, or did she make something up to let him fly free? could he talk to Hardy about anything other than his spectacular proof-less theorems? what did his mind conjure up as he crouched over the stove in the corner of his gloomy Cambridge digs boiling ad hoc rasam?
Like many others, I look forward to seeing what your fertile minds dream up! Good luck!
Hi Dev,
Movie on Math Genius Ramanujan would be a wonderful treat and treasure of this generation and coming generations. As a person born in a village nearer to Erode and a math lover, I am very delighted. I am thinking an actor like Surya (a Coimbatore native—http://www.nilacharal.com/enter/celeb/surya.html) who is versatile in acting in various kind of roles would make a good fit for the role.
Best wishes to your work.
Regards,
Mohan
Dev,
Just read about the project on the BBC site; Brilliant Idea! and great to hear how well you have been doing over the years.
While I bet that most of us struggling through maths (at MHS
could only wish we were a fraction as talented as Ramanujan, unfortunately his life was rather tragic. Even worse, seems few care. A movie is just the right medium for his story; besides exploring what Hardy must have gone through from recieving the letters to inviting him to england and working with him will be fantastic.
The site mentions a ‘leading American or English actor’....why on earth American? would be terrible to have a American play Hardy and IMHO absolutely ruin the effect.
Personally,the medical/forensic angle of what he actually suffered from and died off would be interesting; His digs could be interesting to explore from that point of view. shoot me an email if this is generally interesting…may be able to get a few colleagues to come up with some thoughts / speculations.
ps; on occasion When some of the class of ‘79 get together we still reminscise seeing New Delhi Times feeling very proud why one could hear the Jeep’s windshield wipers / rain with such clarity (at least that was what we had heard you did for that flick)...great stuff anyhow.
If you’re looking for people to play the Ramanujan give me shout. As an Indian,a vegetarian, a cambridge graduate and a mathematician I feel I am best qualified to play this role
Dear Shri Dev Benegal,
I read an article in BBC that you and Mr Stephen Fry are taking a film on (Late) Srinivas Ramanujan.
My father, Mr. R. Padmavijayam co-authored an article in the ‘Readers Digest’ about 20 years ago (Late Ramanujan’s centenary). I’m sure he will be delighted to offer assistance, if you so desire.
Do send me an email if you are interested.
Thanks,
Ranga
Hi, am Karthik currently in the second year of cinematography in FTII, Pune. Am from chennai, but my ancestors including my father are from Kumbakonam. Am very thrilled that you are making a film on ramanujam. Good luck, and i really hope the film does well.
Felt thrilled when I read this news in the Hindustan Times. A google search led me to this blog which is also thrilling. Am sure lovers of good cinema won’t be the only ones who will enjoy this Dev Benegal- Stephen Fry jugalbandhi on the Hardy – Ramanujan jugalbandhi. Most of us have read about the incident where Hardy visits an ailing Ramanujan at Putnam and tells him that the number of the taxi he travelled in, 1729, was a rather uninteresting number. It was as if Hardy had asked for it. Ramanujan’s reply is part of science folklore today. “No,” he had replied, “it is a very interesting number; it is the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways.”
This is great news.Shame on Bollywood for ignoring Ramanujan.And thank you Dev Benegal.This story deperately needs to be told.Please donot involve any Bollywood heartthrobs.They can hardly act!!I am for ever grateful to my English computer science teacher at Enfield Tech who first told me about the great Indian mathamatician.
I just came across the online bbc article “Film to celebrate maths genius” and it reminded me of a fabulous play written and performed by the New Zealand actor/writer Jacob Rajan called “The Candlestickmaker” about Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. Well, stories of Indian math geniuses don’t generally rank too highly in my consciousness, but I do think that Jacob Rajan is brilliant and just the type of charasmatic actor you might consider to play Srinavasa Ramanujan
Ramanujan is my favorite mathmatician. This should be a good movie.
IT IS ABOUT TIME! For many years, A Mathematician’s Apology by Hardy and Robert Kanigel’s fantastic biography of Ramanujan(The Man who knew infinity) managed to nudge their way into the heart and bookcase of a staunch luddite innumerate like myself. I am incredibly tempted to nit-pick, about all the things that could go wrong in the scripting and casting process of this incredible story,(please no labored fake tamil accent!) but I will spare you. Just hope that the film is as moving and soul-stirring as these books have been. (If not you know who to contact for a script revision or a remake!)
I truly believe this film has incredible potential. I am very glad the directors have decided to film on location in both Tamil Nadu and at Cambridge. I also hope a Tamil actor is selected to portray Srinivasa Ramanujan.
The Southern part of India is not portrayed well in the West, if at all. Most Americans, for example, think that all of India is Rajasthan and call centers. To show the scenery and the people of Tamil Nadu while telling the amazing story of a local genius who changed the world as we know it, has the potential to be an intensely rewarding and enlightening movie-going experience. I look forward to seeing this film!
Best Wishes.
It is really heartwarming to note that Dev Benegal has thought of this project.
Ramanujan’s life is ( whatvere little I know of ) brings out what people with passion can achieve with limited or no resources. His passion was mathematics was so overwhelming that poverty , lack of even normal food did not matter and did not come in the way of pursuit of passion
In the fieled of academics, it is the equibvalent of rags to riches story.
I remember that Ramanujan always used to be held as an example of heigh of achievement against all odds
His life was a beacon of hope was hundreds of aspiring academicians.
He brought in romance to the field of academics and mathematics.
His also was a reflection of the lost mathematics generation of India. He brought back memories of Indian mathematical prowess of the old and which we have just read in history books.
The very best to Stephen Fry and Dev Benegal
Srikanth
hello mr. benegal
this does not relate directly to this blog entry.i am writing this to express my desire to work with you.i am an actor and have done theatre in delhi for 3 yrs.needless to say i have seen the 2 features you have made and the work you are doing excites me as an actor and as an audience.if you are looking for actors for any of your upcoming projects i would love to come across and meet with you.
thank you and all the best.
Hi Dev, I would like to wish you all the best for such a noble project. Do keep us updated
Hi Dev,
Actually read about this on BBC had a big photo of you in it too, great idea for a film, the movie will almost certainly draw comparisons with “a beautiful mind”, but i for one know it will outdo the former, and shine on its own! This really is a story that needs to be told, glad to see an accomplished filmmaker like urself tackling it.
Love your work mate!
nHi, how does one get in touch with you? I’m a journalist, working on a story.
Hi Dev,
I am writing to you for the very first time. I am a Rhodes scholar in residence at Oxford at the moment, studying for my DPhil in Engineering. I have been trying every now and then to pull out something in the media about science education in developing countries, with a few failed tv shows that I tried. I read about the latest movie you and Stephen Fry are thinking of making about Ramanujan and I felt I should write to you and ask if there are any ways I can be involved, in ideas, acts, songs etc as this particular subject is very dear to me?
In either case, thanks for making a movie on this subject and best wishes.
Regards,
Hammad
p.s. oh and, I am from Lahore originally.
Hello,
Ever since I read “The man who knew Infinity” I dreamt up of ways in which this movie could be conjured up on the screen. I and friend spent days arguing whether we would want to dramatize Sir Ramanujam’s story and create an impact like “A Beautiful Mind” did – a movie with which comparisons will be inevitable – or would we like it through the perspective of an Indian, a pale and composed movie that does chart what Sir Ramanujam must have gone through – his conflicts, his belief systems and ultimately his passion for work – something on the lines of PI.
Its a great feeling to know that someone is finally out there who has thought that this story needs to be told and are on their way to do it.
Sir, I do feel disheartened that there is already going to be a first on Sir Ramanujam out there before we could make an effort at making it ourselves but we will take the cue from you and hope that someday we will be able to make our own version on the great mans life. I truly believe that this is one story that can be told many times and it should be considering how much Sir Ramanujam has achieved in his life.
I know the above statement would bring a smile to your lips but @ 21, I still believe I can chase my passion and do what I really want to.
BEST OF LUCK Mr. Benegal and I really hope that this venture of yours will be an artistic success if not a commercial one and will tell the story of one of the most amazing geniuses our nation has ever produced.
Hello Dev Benegal,
My husband looks a bit like Srinivasa Ramanujan, I am talking with reference to the picture in BBC website.
Aruna
Hi Dev,
I recently sent Stephen Fry (to his agent Hodell Hamilton) a little package offering help on your film on Ramanujam. I have no experience in films or researching for films, but do you think there might be a way for me to work on your project. I am very motivated in things like the subject you are working on and have a degree. I know a considerable deal about Ramanujan. For instance I have read the following books “A mathematician’s apology by G. Hardy”, Rober Kanigel’s “The man who knew Infinity”, some of Hardy’s book “Ramanujan – Twelve lectures as suggested by his life”, Ramanujan – Collected papers (I understood almost nothing of this book given the intensity of the maths) and Bruce Berndt’s “Ramanujan – Letters and commentary”. I love scientific bigraphies and things scientific, especially mathematical and physical. I am looking for a break to be doing something different from what i am doing now (which happens to be Software Engineering). Working on your project would be the ideal break for me. I write well (sorry to blow my own trumpet) and my friends tell me that i can tell stories well. I do have a passion for storytelling and admire when people like yourself start projects like Ramanujan or Frayn’s Copenhagen. Please let me know as I am eagerly awaiting my letters and notes to be delivered to My Fry for consideration. Its still being held by DHL to be given to Lorraine Hamilton. If i could work on your project, it’ll be a year well spent for me. I also want to learn Premiere Pro (a NLE from Adobe) and editing in general and also own a brand new thinkpad and therefore have computing mobility. Many thanks again for reading this. If nothing comes off of this, I wish you all the very best making the movie and hope its garners all the oscars like A Beautiful Mind did.
Best Regards
Raghu
I can’t wait for this movie. LONG overdue.
Hi again Dev,
I was wondering if you have considered casting Hugh Grant as Hardy. Hardy had a beautiful face and Hugh’s intelligent good looks closely resembles Hardy’s face in many respects. Just thought i’d give you my two cents.
Raghu
Dear Mr. Benegal,
I’m a 22 year old advertising copywriter with a 3 year sociology background and some time at design school. I’ve also dabbled in some ‘dark’ fiction and freelance journalism for a couple of ‘girlie’ magazines.
I hear that you are working on your next project. I wish to work for you and be a part of it. For me, it will be a learning experience under a director I immensely respect and admire. And I work very hard.
I hope you’ll get in touch with me. I really want to work for the man who made ‘English August’.
Regards,
Chandana Menon
Email: chandana.menon@gmail.com
Mobile: (0) 98401 81632
Hi Dev and Stephen, the more i read about it, the more i am curious to play the Genuis Ramanujan’s character. But i am not sure my qualifications match, listed below:
:No training in acting
:Bad mathematician
:Little research on Genuis
But, what i have is:
:Hardworking and willing to learn
:posess the innocence to be guided easily
:Genuine interest in playing this character
:Being a Indian and a Tamilian
At the end of the day, there are far much worthier performers out there and i am sure you guys will pick the best talent. And i would just love to watch the film when it finally shapes up. Good luck.
syd
Hi. I’m sorry to be quite direct, but I hope you will consider Ajay Devgan for the role of Srinivasa Ramanujan. Admittedly, I am not extremely savvy when it comes to Indian actors, but I find him to be quite versatile an actor, and have enjoyed most every movie I have seen him in.
I wish you and Stephen Fry the best of luck with this film.
P.S. I am really enjoying your Weblog.
Why stephen fry? Or I should say, why Oscar Wilde (wink wink). C’mon Dev, hes so pretentious and his movies are a charade. I know .. I know DPS, England… we are all the same. But lets see something that genuinely reflects us, the India we grew up in. The people who seriously make us laugh. Not some guys whos not even sure of himself. And I am sure you dont want someone soo up himself! Frankly speaking we have seen-that and done-them (wink). This oxbridge take in life is damn neat on a 3rd world student CV to the World bank but not really on cinematic life about Indians. We want simplicity, hard-core hindi heartland and really no bull-shitting. C’mon you deserve better than Fry!
Hi There,
It was wonderful to hear about your feature film on the math genius Ramanuja. I have been reading about the developments of the project and was pleased to know the official launch was done at the presence of our president Dr.Abdul Kalam. I would like to know if you have any other sources where i could keep myself updated about the project.
Congratulations and all the very best for the movie to be a huge success.
Thanks,
Karthik
Repected sir or madam,
I read about the article of a new film on mathematician Ramanujan, Mr. Dev Benegal is making. I am willing to work in that film. I am fluent in English, Hindi and Gujarati languages. More about myself:
Name: Amish Kamal Badani
Date Of Birth: June 29, 1989
Experiences:
Acted in school plays.
Performed in street plays.
Participated in Debate Competitions.
Won several Recitation Competitions.
Participated in an interview, held by NDTV-India news channel.
Written several poems, stories and plays.
Telephone Number: 091-281-2473162
E-mail: as mentioned.
I think that the topic of the film is really good and that is why, I am willing too work in that film.
I hope I shall get a positive response.
Awaiting your reply.
Thanking you.
Yours truly,
Amish Badani
P.S. I shall mention more about myself after your reply.
I have been following with keen interest your new movie on the math genius Ramanujan. I dont think many Indians even know a great deal about him-someone who could have been a Nobel laureate if he had lived a little longer.
Sir-any clues on the casting for the lead role?
Regards and best wishes
Satish.
Dear Mr. Benegal,
About 8 months ago, I re-read Robert Kanigel’s ‘Man who Knew Infinity’ and was telling my wife about the need for all of us to know this Man. Hearing about your planning a film got me excited… now that it has been launched, I’m looking forward to seeing it soon!
Of course, if there’s any way I can help, I’d be glad to!
Regards,
Shantaram
Chennai.
Hi Dev
I am an Indian living in the netherlands. I get a lot opportunity to watch a loads of movies by independent
film makers mostly from Europe, some Asian and american. Unfortunately, I am bit disappointed when it is difficult to find DVDs of independent movie makers from India. I have literally travelled around the world watching these movies which make you laugh, cry and most important allow you to sit back and think.
I am looking forward to your new movie on the math genuis AK Ramanujam. I am curious ..Are you going to shoot it in brown/black n white or in colour ? I wish you all the best in this venture.
Finally,I am interested to watch the short documentary film on Cauvery made 20 years ago by you. Is there a possibility to get it on DVD? or can you atleast help me to find the right person to get in touch ?
look forward to your reply.
greetings
Rajesh
Hi deV, I read about the film project tracing Ramanujam’s Life history. I’m drawn to be a part of the film project and would like to fill up assistance in any role. I have considerable experience in acting and even, directing few plays(neil simon,dattani etc). Besides being a resident of chennai for the past 7 years, I have been virtually entrenched in the tamil language,culture and heritage.I’d love to infuse any more sparkle into the project that i may be allowed to bring along.
I just discovered this website, not too confident I know what I am doing, but will try…
My grandfather (maternal) was Gyanesh Chandra Chatterji, Ramanujan’s or “Jam” as they called him, Trinity college buddy. My aunt, Uma Anand has some very interesting memories of her parents friedship with Ramanujan, and, if you are interested, you may contact me at my email address.
I did send a letter to Mr Fry at his official fan mail snail mail address, but, if this works, nothing like it!
Sincerely,
Malati Shah
Hi Dev,
Being creative, I was wondering if you needed help on the Ramanujan film. I was thinking of helping out by way of researching subject material for you, Mr. Fry and Ms. Carter. I am enthusiastic, mathematically aware, historically minded and have an immense depth of knowledge on mathematicians and physicists. I am presently looking for interesting things to work with [having lost my day job
]. Your project would be a dream come true and a new begining for me. I was always hoping someone out there would make a movie on ‘R’ and i think your idea and project will be a resounding success. I do think you could find having me on your team a worthwhile experience. Please at least write an e-mail to let me know your thoughts on my proposal.
Sincerely
Raghu
Dear Sir,
I’m a journalist & shortfilmmaker…Till recently,I was the head of regional channel ( ETV - MP & Chhattisgarh )- prior to which I worked as the
Features Editor with Hindustan Times at Bhopal. In between ,I did the film
appreciation course (in 1999) fron FTTI where your film ” Split Wide Open ‘was
premiered.For , the past five years I ‘d been working on the idea of doing a film on Ramanujan ( I wrote articles ,script , approached two producers etc);
Now that you’re doing a similar project , I’m keen to get in touch with you.I have
no other interests (monetary or otherwise) save that of providing value addition to the project. I was in London in the first week of May where I contacted Mr. Stephen Fry too about the same.Do find time to
respond – I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards ,
Shashidhar Kapur
P.S- I graduated in Maths ( Hons . ) from St.Stephen’s whereafter I was
offered scholarships for doctoral research in Number Theory ( the Area of Ramanujan’s work) by two universities in the US. Though , I didn’t pursue it , the interest remained.
All in all, I feel that I ‘m in a unique position in that I am passionate about maths , have done a bit of filmmaking and am deeply interested in the east-west co-epitition ( Competition & collaboration ).
yes, i saw a program called “just books” featuring u and stephen fry…it was great listening to u guys…please just let me know if i can help u in nay way….i just want to be there where it all happens.
Hi everybody,
Can anyone tell me whenwill this film be released?
If anyone knows,please send message to my e-mail adddress:
my e-mail Id:
My e-mail Id: rajashekhar_kiram371@yahoo.com
I sent my comment via this and not published.Wonder if tamil genius is taken for granted to be made a film using non- tamil actors?
I was well aware when i was teaching my own class when i was 7 years old that i was gifted in arithmetic but did not have a mentor like CV Raman and Ramanujan for the likes of Nobel prize winning astrophysicist Subramaniam Chandraseker to emulate their achievements.
I was a top maths and science stream student winning prizes for advanced level mathematics at the top school,Jaffna Hindu College in ceylon,which sent the highest number of students in the whole of ceylon to do engineering in 1967.I was given a book in 1965,a course of pure mathematics late GH Hardy of cambridge university.It was meant for cambridge mathematics tripos ,first year degree course at cambridge university.While i was doing problems from the book,i came across a tamil sounding name,ramanujan.
It also included about a conversation when Hardy visited Ramanujan at his sick bed since Hardy was late,he blamed the taxi number 1729.But Ramanujan enlightened Hardy to the fact the it is a unique number in which two different cubes can be summed up to make 1729,since cubes of 12 plus cubes of 1,as well as cubes of 10 plus cubes of 9 .
Ever since and i have read several of his work as well as biographical work such as comments of Freeman Dyson with whom i had e mail correspndence in year 2000 or 2001.
My only query is whether Ramanujan was worked hard by Hardy detrimental to his health which ultimately resulted in untimely death? But one consolation is that hardy,in his ,apology of a mathematician,had to say to this effect- I have had the unique previledge of discovering and collaborated with Ramanujan.
I failed to add that the book i mentioned,A course of Pure mathematics by GH Hardy was presented to me as prize in 1965 and not a text book for the A/L.
dear mr. benegal, i think i can do this… i am a physician, am of indian ethnicity, have not had acting experience beyond school plays, but i am confident that i can audition for this role and play a convincing ramanujan… i have read the book, ‘the man who knew infinity’ and ever since then i have been enthralled by the man… i wish i knew him but i feel i can live through him in this effort to finally bring his genius to the populace…. i am very sincere in my request….
i am currently working in the united states and my contract is due to run out by march of ‘07…. i dont care about pay i care about doing this role as perfectly as it deserves to be done… i have a genuine talent for accents and i know that this will be the absolute perfect place to utilize that skill… i am 5’10, slim athletic build, black hair, brown eyes and a tan complexion but i know the artistry of makeup and designers can make me into a believable, authentic actor for this very important role…
i have always wanted to act and i feel somehow that this is a defining moment for me… i have searched far and wide for information on a bbc production of a documentary about ramanujan made years ago and have had a very hard time finding it… i stumbled upon this current site and i have to say honestly i felt compelled to write…
i hope you find time to read this genuine and honest request…. this is a monumental movie, and i feel inside me that i can do this… i really do…. sincerely, mohamed dattu, m.d. pittsburgh pennsylvania
I am not sure if you have already found the suitable actors for the role.
One need not be a mathematician but definitely acting experience helps.I would like Huge Grant to play Hardy and Siria Sivakumar ,a young tamil actor who resembles Ramanujan in his youth.
To my mind ,Hardy is the icon who defined the term -such quote as .
Ever since,the likes of nobel prize winning physicists such as Dirac,Freeman Dyson(not a nobel prize winner yet) and Richard Feyman followed the idea to the letter.
Since then ,another nobel prize winner,Gell Murrey of SFI gave birth to his biography,strange beauty.
Dirac is an electrical engineer turned physicist, and founded quantum mechanics with his famous dirac equation(not a simplistic beauty like e=mc2 but a beauty for mathematicians and physicists.
I have read the biography of chandraseker by K Wali in which if i remember reading that ramanujan’s feats were an inspiration to him along with that of his uncle cv raman,both raman and chandraseker appeared to have found time while on their long journey by ship from india to uk to come up with raman effect and white dwarf theory.
Although i am a hindu,i agree with Hardy that Ramanujan’s gift in maths not necessarily due to his goddess kali but his mastering of a book of 6000 synopsis of theorems many without proof by George s Carr.
Many of Ramanujan’s theorems without proof may have been his own creations and some failed to impress Hardy.
Another important point must not be missed was that once Hardy came to Ramanujan’s rescue when he was arrested for trying to commit suicide on london underground rail lines ?,probabily cambridge failed to admit him as fellow of trinity college although hardy recommended him to this as well as fellow of Royal Society.
Hardy got him off the hook by saying that Ramanujan was FRS but in fact he was only recommend by Hardy but not yet formally admitted.
I hope this would paint a picture of another human like anybody else with genius for maths but with human failings ,like second son of Einstein who end up depressed all his life unlike his older brother who went on to become a world famous civil engineering river hydraulic professor at UCB,late Herbert Einstein.
Famous quote of Hardy-mathematics must have aesthetic beauty and there is no place for ugly mathematics.
above quote is missing the previous essay.
This film’s main actors may be ramanujan and hardy but those hwo helped ramanujan to be in cambridge should nto be overlooked
For instance
CLT Griffith of college of engineering in madras
littlewood
narayana iyer
ganapathy iyer
e h neville,fellow of trinity college
above all role of ramanujan’s paper to indian mathematical society
a book by hardy which ramanujan read about before he came to write to hardy at cvambridge
wow i am really fascinated by this movie and all the news related to it.
do i get to act in this film.i am not kidding. i am pretty serious.
though i dont like films i really want to do something for this movie
atleast i will be a teacher(ramanujan’s teacher) in the film.
ramanujan’s life and his sincerity always reminds of the way my dad built
everything from scratch.
being an engineer myself i have always admired ramanujan and assumed him to be one of the talented person which the world did not harness properly.
mr.benegal my offer is pretty serious.
thanking you
karthikeyan ramachandran
PS: i am not drunk
Hello There!
I live in the northern part of India, i am not associated with films or the family of Srinivasa Ramanujan, but i have come to know of him as a great mathematical genius and have been influenced by his life a lot.
It is truly an enchanting experience to think that someone like you is bringing out the genius in front of us through your art. The world deserves to know him better. Its only a matter of time when young veiwers will be inspired by his life and who knows what future might bring out in them.
My best wishes to you. And i have a request. Please make this film a universal voice, whether you hire Tamil or non Tamil actors, the appeal should be such that one staying in any part of the world should relate to him.
Thank you for your time. God bless.
P.S There is one more genius that India has produced and his name is Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, an Astrophysicist. You might want to do some work based on his life also in the future.
Hello, I am Davi Beschizza, nee Gurusamy. I am a Singaporean of Indian origin, specifically my mother was from Kumbakonam in South India. I have read an article on Ramanujan many years back in the Reader’s Digest and did remember quite vividly ,this maths genius, who has left a legacy of mathematical equations and formulas that till today are still being proven.It is indeed timely that a movie is being made of Ramanujam and credits given posthumously. Yes, every achievement warrants credit and hope whatever film is being made, it does justice to Ramanujam, who once walked the streets of Kumbakonam.
Unfortunately for Kumbakonum many poor children’s life were also lost when a fire in a school left manyof them dead.
Hope current upsurge in Ramanujan and Kumbakonum result in better facilies for schools there.
hello my name is mithun..i would like to audition for this movie..my email add is mithuncalls@gmail.com..plz contact me about this , if casting is still in process.
im not related to Srinivasa ramanujan in any way im aware of..i have good grasp of mathematics ..definitely not of very high standards ,,but would compliment the part in the movie..i have been trying to find a way to contact you from past march ..however attempts have been futile..plz let me know of any developments in thsi process.
Sincerely,
Mithun
Can mr Dev benegal update what is the status of the film now since you may put a fulstop to those aspire to be part of this film.
BY the way,wonder if those doing maths are infact lonely souls with no one to talk to with their personal problems or for that matter they are so proud souls who think being a top brain feel that they refuse to humble themselves so much so depression and tendency to commiting act of suicide is second nature?
That is what one come s to when one think of plaight of ramanujan,hardy himselves tried to commit suicide with overdose but unsuceesful.Even Nash was suffering from some form of depression?
Dear Sir
I would like to send my profile to Dev Benegal. How can it possible.. I am a very serious acting student.. I am from Kerala.. Currently doing Acting course in Singapore.I hope I can hear from you soon.
truley
sreejith
I am neither a mathematician nor an actor.I had chanced to meet Robert Kanigal on his visit to India just prior to his writing the famous book “The Man who knew infinity
Srinivasa Ramanujan”Please refer to the “Author’s notes” about me on the book.Also I had been of some assistance to Professor Bruce berndt of Illinois University in identifying the others in the Ramanujan group photo taken atTrinity,Cambridge,tracing their descendents and collection of their biographies,the details of which were published by him in the book “Ramanujan Essays and Surveys” with due acknowledgement to me under the chapter “The four photographs of Ramanujan”.In the same book he had acknowledged the details provided by me for the write up about my grandfather S.Narayana Iyer,who then as the Chief Accountant of the Madras Port Trust,was of immense help to Ramanujan.
I am greatly concerned that the film you have embarked on should truely depict the life of the genius and towards that I can be of any assistance.
Best Wishes,
V.Viswanathan
am neither a mathematician nor an actor.I had chanced to meet Robert Kanigal on his visit to India just prior to his writing the famous book The Man who knew infinity Srinivasa RamanujanPlease refer to the Authors notes about me on the book.Also I had been of some assistance to Professor Bruce berndt of Illinois University in identifying the others in the Ramanujan group photo taken atTrinity,Cambridge,tracing their descendents and collection of their biographies,the details of which were published by him in the book Ramanujan Essays and Surveys with due acknowledgement to me under the chapter The four photographs of Ramanujan.
In the same book he had acknowledged the details provided by me for the write up about my grandfather S.Narayana Iyer,who then as the Chief Accountant of the Madras Port Trust,was of immense help to Ramanujan.
I am greatly concerned that the film you have embarked on should truely depict the life of the genius and towards that I can be of any assistance.
Best Wishes,
V.Viswanathan
I was somehow reading about Ramanujan’s history. I am awestruck with his GENIUS nature. Also following which I was thinking his life should be made in to a movie and then through one of the links in the same web I went to some other sublinks and landed here in this blog where I am seeing that there is a plan for the movie to be made in 2007. “CONSCIOUSNESS KNOWS ITS WAY TO ROUTE ITS EMOTIONS TO FORM A MASS EMOTION AND LIKE THOUGHT”
I was close to an elderly gentleman when i was 9 years old.
For another 2 decades it was a puzzle as to why he and his children,engineer,doctor and science graduate close to me.
Some one told me that it was because of my late father that the above professionals managed to complete theri studies other wise they would have been on road.In fact my late father was a contractor and their father was a village chairman.
I relate the true story to say that no one can claim that they have achieved what in their life if not for some great men in their life.
yes,if not for nobel prize winning cv raman and ramanujan,chandraseker would have become a nobel prize winner and like wise,
if not for chandrasker,educated at cambridge and professor at chicago university ,where chandraseker taught two chinese students yang and lee ,both of them went on to win nobel prize in 1955 and cnadraseker in 1983.see the connection.
Dear Dev,
It is very interesting to learn about this venture. Ever since I read the review of “The man who knew infinity” I wanted to read that book, but was able to do so only recently. I had already known a little about his “rags to intellectual riches” story, but I never expected it to have all the ingredients of a classic movie script.
Although, I do not have any background in in the tinsel world, I wanted to write a movie script on “Ramanujan” in my free time. This led me to do some research and then I happened to see your blog.
As Mr. Sivasankar has said “CONSCIOUSNESS KNOWS ITS WAY TO ROUTE ITS EMOTIONS TO FORM A MASS EMOTION AND LIKE THOUGHT”.
I would like to help your venture in whatever small way I can. Please let me know for any assistance you may require in Chennai.
It is an excellent idea to create a film on ramanujan. There was no mathematician in the entire 20th century who could guess his genius. Hardy had commented,” I have never met his equal and can compare him only with mathematical giants like euler or karl jacobi.” Ramanujan can be a very inspiring model for many children who want to be mathematicians. Many biographies are also written about him but films can play an outstanding role in inspiring many children.
Prof Marcus Du Sautoy of oxford university gave an inspirational Royal Institution lecture,at RI on christmas day,i being a memebr of RI been there few times,on Prime Numbers and their relevance to today’s technological world.
Prof Sautoy appear to be the man of the times unlike Hardy and Ramanujah to take mathematics to the world of non mathematicans and aspiring young mathematical minds and i hope flim produces make use of his story telling skills on board.
I find it amazing is that unlike me who realised that i was gifed in maths and did not have a mentor but inspite of being the only one who got 100 for maths at the age of 13 among 3 classes of pre o/l,one of the teacher who taught another class deprived me of the prize by upgrading his student’s marks for 95 to 100 and i was new to the top school,jhc,Prof Sautoy was inspired by his teacher at his ago of 12 by introducing him to joy of numbers published in
scientific american by martin garner.
Interesting post.
Dear Sir,
I have heard with great pleasure that D Benegal and S Fry are producing a film on the great Indian mathematician Ramanujan. I am very interested in taking on the role of Ramanujan himself with your wishes.
I have acting experience from school, some in drama but more recently in comedy. my father is a Sri Lankan Tamil, I am familiar with the basics of the Tamil language.
I am now a chemistry PhD student in the UK, where I have been studying for ten years. I did my first degree at Oxford University.
I have a good understanding of mathematics, but I admit I am no mathematical genius like Ramanujan.
I am familiar with Tamil culture through my relations in the UK and also in Sri Lanka. Sometimes I get “magical” ideas during the middle of the night when I am working on my chemistry, and have to wake up fully in order to get the ideas down on paper, but unfortunately I have rarely or never been blessed by divine interventions from Namagiri (or other Gods) like Ramanujan. Nevertheless, I feel I can understand his emotions and spirituality. I hope the film will be as much as like the Gandhi film, which is a slow moving “family” type film they would show on a sunday afternoon.
I hope to hear from you with suggestions and I hope to help out in any way.
I am easily guided, easy to talk to, and very determined and a well mannered polite educated person.
I wish you all the best in this project for a Ramanujan film.
yours sincerely,
Kumaran Mahendrarajah
So what is the status of this film now ? Just curious to see if it is being shot and if so what the expected release date is (here in the US)....
Good luck !
My advise to Kumaran Mahendrarajah is not to waste time on this role and do your studies and become a worldrenowned chemist unlike the present day scientists more interested in quick fame and money and not becoming a real scientist like cv raman or madam curie. I have advised some students in my time ,some of them are finest scienific minds in the world today.
RAmanujan has always been a God for me. I THANK YOU WITH ALL MY HEART FOR INTRODUCING RAMANUJAN to the non-scientific community as well.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks!
hy
I am mathematician and a student film-maker and have been planning to make a movie on Ramanujan. Now these folks seem to have depressed me.
Good luck, but am going to still make a movie on him since he is a great mathematician of all-time and anyone can make a movie.
some good things take time to originate..but capture all essences thereafter, i believe, so will this movie be…
cheers to them…
I wonder how many of you tried to do 100 questions on arithmetic-addition,subraction,division and multiplication as appeared on THE TIMES NEWS paper uk on 14 feb.2007.I got down to do it as soon as i found it .It took me 59 seconds to write the answers.I gave the answers to my colleague another engineer about 3 decades younger to check by timing he took 2 and half minutes ,just to tick my answers.
Well i may be aging in years,but my brain and mind is considered comparable to the speed of computers manufactured at silcon vally accoding to the journalist who wrote the article who took also reported to have taken 2 and half minutes.
hi all i am writing a book on the legend srinivasa ramanujan so please anyone who is related to him ( i mean your grand parents) please mail me i need your help badly.
santosh
Hi,
I’m not sure who will be picked to play the part of Ramanujan, but I would be very interested in auditioning for the part. Although I’m not an actor by profession, we both have alot in common. Else I would hope someone with similar roots is selected to do justice to the depiction of Ramanujan.
Read your piece about Ramanujan’s movie – and all I can say is FINALLY! Ramanujan’s talent and natural ability is not very well-known and it is HIGH TIME that everyone recognizes the brilliant man for what he was…
if they r looking for a look alike then my face matches the gr8 face of the genius….
i know this because when ever i used to show his photo to friends they used to ask me if it was my photo…
and iam an iyengar ..so i can speak his language too..
so please if i get a chance to be even get an auditioning just to step even for a moment is like dream of my life ..pls pls let me know ..
its no gr8 honour then this for anyone then this …..
A, must see movie, for all mathematics aspirants…
Hope that, they will select a fellow from Tamil nadu for the role of “Ramanujam” – The mathematical genius
the movie RAMANUJAN should be the best movie ever made.as john nash is “a beautiful mind” the movie ramanujan should reflect much more than a beautiful mind.I also have a dream to make a movie on RAMANUJAN .I am the greatest fan of RAMANUJAN IN THE WORLD
the movie should do proper justice to the GENIUS - THE GREAT RAMANUJAN.
the movie RAMANUJAN should be the best movie ever made.as john nash is “a beautiful mind” the movie ramanujan should reflect much more than a beautiful mind.I also have a dream to make a movie on RAMANUJAN .I am the greatest fan of RAMANUJAN IN THE WORLD
the movie should do proper justice to RAMANUJAN-THE GENIUS.
So when is the movie due to come out ?
I am looking forward to the day when the movie on the life and times of S Ramanujan is broadcast.
I am looking forward with interest to seeing the intended film on the life and times of the genius Ramanujan.
I am looking forward to the day when a film on the life and times of the genius S Ramanujan is broadcast.
plaese help me i want to see ramanujam film which website? please…...........
my mail id senthiramanujam@yahoo.in
Dear dev B
What is going on with ramanujan movie?? please let us know the progress…
I am eager to know it because it is almost three years in since its anouncements? does it finished or halted or indefenitely dropped …no news no ads no dev or it just wait and see?? that we will be surprised by its release in grand scale??
please atlease let us know what is going on with that project
dear fan
muthuvel
Wait and See.
It’s in progress at the moment.
Hey Dev
I came across this blog while looking other efforts to portray the genius of Ramanujan . Its exciting to know that someone has finally decided to bring him to light by means of cinema. I have been studying his life’s work in order to direct a play on him in the US (Austin, TX).
I would love to offer help in anyway be it promoting the movie or helping with any production aspect of it if you need it. I myself have done quite a bit of theater and short films and run a dance and theatre company in austin and am 25 years old. I am located in the US and will definitely spread the word around here about this wonderful project . I am sure all the math and movie buffs from India will be excited.
kudos again and best of luck
Prakash
Hi,
Greetings.
Congratulations on your efforts to make a movie on this great mathematician.
There is Srinivasa Ramanujan’s Museum at Royapuram, Chennai and I would like to know whether you got a chance to visit the museum and is ig included in your movie?
This was estabilished in 1993 by my father Sri P K Srinivasan with the help of Mr. A T B Bose at Avvai Cultural Academy, No.9, Somu Chetty Street, IV lane, Royapuram, Chennai-13.
My father’s long cherished dream of displaying the original letters and photographs collected by him from early 60’s for the public came to reality in 1993. But before that in 1968 he brought out 2 memorial volumes on this great mathematician which was referred internationally by mathematicians working on Ramanujan’s works. Many great mathematicians like Prof. Bruce Berndt and author of ‘The Man Who Knew Infinity’ Robert keniegel have visited my father who shared many of his works on the personality of Ramanujan. My father’s pioneering work on taking Ramanujan to school saw him writing 3 books for Primary, Middle and High school children introducing Ramanujan’s works by printing his jottings on one side and its explanation on the other side which was widely appreciated.
If you have still time to know more on this (as I know its been 3 years from when you started this project and i could not contact you earlier on this issue) kindly mail me your address etc. so that I can send you my father’s 2 volumes and the 3 books(Association of Mathematics Teacher’s of India published these 3 books in which my father was a founder member and Academic Secy.)to you for your reference.
Best Regards,
Nirmala
Hello!
Indeed a coincidence that I should be thinking about this gentlemen mentioned above when I first read this column.
It would be a real mine of information on Srinivasa Ramanujam if Mr. PK Srinivasan was contacted, with him I have had the previlidge to interect on more than one occassions.
Here is wishing the film on the math genius best of luck!
Regards
Ramachandran V.
hello,
I was wondering if anyone can tell me if its possible to have a previous posted comment removed (taken down) from here? I have unfortunately left too much personal details (v v stupid of me!).
if the website managers or editors or whoever is in charge please contact me by the email I have left you!
please please help to remove a comment I wrote in this blog.