Movie on math-whiz Ramanujan

Much in the news for his past involvement with Viveka Babajee, director Rohit Jugraj has decided to move on in life. He will now direct an ambitious bio-pic entitled The Man Who Knew Infinity on the life and genius of one of the most influential mathematician, Srinivasa Ramanujan. The film will be based on Robert Kanigel’s The Man Who Knew Infinity : A Life Of The Genius Ramanujan.
Jugraj has secretly been working on the project for more than two years.Ramanujan, who died at the age of 32, has been a subject of fascination for Rohit. He says, “I’ve been fascinated by the life of this simple genius from the time I grew up. What was Ramanujan’s mind all about? How could someone who gave us so many mathematical innovations be so simple? He was such a naïve man that when he went to study at Cambridge, he didn’t know how to use a blanket. He never had to use one in his warm hometown, Tamil Nadu.
So during his initial days in Cambridge, he would sleep shivering in the cold in his room and would wear his coat and woollens in the night to avoid cold. It was a friend who told him how the blanket was used.” It’s such touching anecdotes from Ramanujan’s life that intrigue Jugraj
The director has been in touch with Ramanujan’s family in Chennai who are apparently happy to have their ancestor’s life on celluloid. Says Jugraj, “I’ve spoken to his family members who are very enthusiastic about the idea.”
Jugraj is on the verge of buying the rights of the biography from the publishers, Picador. Jugraj tells us, “Getting the books’ rights is proving to be more problematic than convincing Ramanujan’s family for a go ahead for the film.”
If the book doesn’t come to Jugraj, he will proceed to piece together Ramanujan’s life story based on the mathematical maestro’s family’s revelations. However the right for filming is almost sealed. Says the excited director, “I’m asking for the Hindi filming rights only. I think some international filmmaker has got the English filming rights.” Suriya is expected to play the title role.
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