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{{Short description|2014 Indian film by Gnana Rajasekara}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Ramanujan
| image = Ramanujan film.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| director = [[Gnana Rajasekaran]]
| producer = Srivatsan Nadathur Sushant Desai Sharanyan Nadathur [[Sindhu Rajasekaran]]
| writer = Gnana Rajasekaran
| starring = [[Abhinay Vaddi]] [[Abbas (actor)|Abbas Mirza]] [[Suhasini Maniratnam]] Kevin McGowan [[Bhama Kurup|Bhama]] [[Michael Lieber]]
| music = [[Ramesh Vinayakam]]
| cinematography = [[Sunny Joseph]]
| editing = [[B. Lenin]]
| studio = Camphor Cinema
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2014|07|11}}
| runtime = 153 minutes
| country = India United Kingdom
| language = Tamil English
}}
'''''Ramanujan''''' is a 2014 [[biographical film]] based on the life of Indian mathematician [[Srinivasa Ramanujan]]. The film, written and directed by [[Gnana Rajasekaran]], was shot [[back to back film production|back to back]] in the [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and [[English language|English]] languages.<ref name="cast">{{Cite news |title=Therein lies the genius |url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/therein-lies-the-genius/article5947251.ece |access-date=26 April 2014 |work=The Hindu}}</ref> The film was produced by the independent Indian production house Camphor Cinema, ventured by Srivatsan Nadathur, Sushant Desai, Sharanyan Nadathur, [[Sindhu Rajasekaran]]. The cast consists of [[Indian cinema|Indian]] and [[British cinema|British]] film, stage and screen personalities. It marks the Tamil debut of [[Abhinay Vaddi]], the grandson of veteran actors [[Gemini Ganesan]] and [[Savitri (actress)|Savitri]], as the protagonist.

Featuring an ensemble cast of [[Suhasini Maniratnam]], [[Bhama Kurup|Bhama]], Kevin McGowan, [[Abbas (actor)|Abbas Mirza]], [[Nizhalgal Ravi]], [[Michael Lieber]], amongst others in supporting roles, the film was set in the early 1900s, tracing the life of Ramanujan, and shot across five different locations, across [[India]] and [[England]], which includes [[Kumbakonam]], [[Namakkal]], [[Chennai]], [[London]] and [[Cambridge]]. The film features, music and background score composed by [[Ramesh Vinayakam|Ramesh Vinayagam]], cinematography handled by [[Sunny Joseph]] and editing done by [[B. Lenin]].

''Ramanujan'' received [[Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film]] in 2013, although the film had released a year later. The film was released worldwide on 11 July 2014, across [[India]] and [[United Kingdom]]. It was released simultaneously in Tamil and English languages.

== Plot ==
Set in the early 1900s, the film traces the life of the prodigious math genius [[Srinivasa Ramanujan]] from the time he was a young Tamil Brahmin to his years in England, where he attended [[Cambridge University]] during [[World War I]]. The film follows his relationships with his mother Komalatammal, his wife Janaki, and his collaborator Professor [[G. H. Hardy]]. The film also showcases how Indian society viewed a mathematician of such great stature.<ref name="hindu">{{Cite web |last=KrishnamacharI |first=Suganthy |title=Travails of a genius |url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/travails-of-a-genius/article4857108.ece |access-date=5 July 2013 |website=The Hindu |date=27 June 2013 }}</ref>

== Cast ==
{{colbegin}}
* [[Abhinay Vaddi]] as [[Srinivasa Ramanujan]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Life of Srinivasa Ramanujan |url=http://www.imsc.res.in/~rao/ramanujan/newnow/Ramanujachariar.htm |access-date=2014-07-15 |publisher=The Institute of Mathematical Sciences}}</ref>
** Anmol as Young Srinivasa Ramanujan
* [[Abbas (actor)|Abbas]] as [[Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis]]
* [[Suhasini Maniratnam]] as Komalatammal, Srinivasa Ramanujan's mother<ref>{{Cite web |title=Komalathammal, Srinivasa Ramanujan's mother |url=http://www.imsc.res.in/~rao/ramanujan/newnow/komalathamal.htm |access-date=2014-07-15 |publisher=The Institute of Mathematical Sciences}}</ref>)
* [[Bhama Kurup|Bhama]] as Janaki, Srinivasa Ramanujan's wife<ref>{{Cite web |title=Janaki, Srinivasa Ramanujan's wife |url=http://www.imsc.res.in/~rao/ramanujan/newnow/marriage.htm |access-date=2014-07-15 |publisher=The Institute of Mathematical Sciences}}</ref>)
* Kevin McGowan as [[G. H. Hardy]]
* [[Michael Lieber]] as [[John Edensor Littlewood]]
* [[Richard Walsh (actor)|Richard Walsh]] as [[Francis Spring]]
* [[Sarath Babu]] as Diwan Bahadur [[R. Ramachandra Rao]] I. C. S.
* [[Radha Ravi]] as Prof. Singaravelu Mudaliar
* [[Madhan Bob]] as Prof. Krishna Shastri
* [[Y. G. Mahendran]] as S. Narayana Iyer
* [[Manobala]] as Krishna Rao
* [[Nizhalgal Ravi]] as Srinivasa Raghavan (Srinivasa Ramanujan's father)
* Satish Kumar as Anandhu
* [[Thalaivasal Vijay]] as Sathiyapriya Rayar
* Manibharathi as Krishnan
* [[Delhi Ganesh]]
* [[Kitty (actor)|Raja Krishnamoorthy]] as Seshu Iyer
* [[T. P. Gajendran]] as [[T. Namberumal Chetty]]
* [[Mohan V. Ram]]
* [[Cloudia Swann]] as Ms. Bourne
* Mike Parish as Doctor Charles
* Harsh Naik as Chatterjee
* Lizzie Bourne as Ms. Gertrude Hardy
{{colend}}

==Production==
=== Casting ===
{{quote box
|quote="We had very few photos of Ramanujan and his family. So, we had to purely depend on whatever information was available on the social setup of Iyengars and other castes of that period. We had to design costumes keeping in mind the three phases of his life and those surrounding him — the Kumbakonam phase, his life in Chennai and then, in London,"
|source= — Shakuntala, on designing the looks for ''Ramanujan''<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 September 2013 |title=Designers research for period look in Tamil films |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-09-19/news-interviews/42217473_1_vasanthabalan-period-film-kaaviya-thalaivan |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921074642/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-09-19/news-interviews/42217473_1_vasanthabalan-period-film-kaaviya-thalaivan |archive-date=21 September 2013 |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref>
|align=right
|width=50%
}}
[[Gnana Rajasekaran]] looked for an actor who would physically resemble Ramanujan and signed [[Abhinay Vaddi]], who is the grandson of veteran Tamil actor [[Gemini Ganesan]], for the main role. [[Michael Lieber]] was signed to play Edensor Littlewood. Lieber confessed he had no knowledge of Ramanujan, when he signed the film, and went as far as to meet [[Béla Bollobás]], who worked with Littlewood personally, for his research work. He found it difficult to speak the Tamil lines, but appreciated it later on, "I would be lying if I said that the task of learning Tamil was not daunting at first, but once I got the hang of it I was able to appreciate what a beautiful language it is. There were many different ways of learning the Tamil lines; some used audio tapes, prompting, flash cards, or word boards. I learnt the meaning of the words and memorised chunks of dialogue."<ref name="cast" /> Similarly, Kevin McGowan, who was signed for the role of [[G. H. Hardy]], was unfamiliar with the story of Ramanujan. The film also stars [[Bhama Kurup|Bhama]], [[Suhasini Maniratnam]], [[Abbas (actor)|Abbas]] and [[Richard Walsh (actor)|Richard Walsh]] amongst others.<ref name="infoline">{{Cite web |title='Camphor Cinema' presents their first film 'Ramanujan' |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.co.in/camphor-cinema-presents-their-first-film-ramanujan/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820212249/http://www.boxofficeindia.co.in/camphor-cinema-presents-their-first-film-ramanujan/ |archive-date=20 August 2013 |access-date=19 July 2013 |publisher=Boxofficeindia |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Harshikaa Udasi |date=2013-11-30 |title=Faces and facts |url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/faces-and-facts/article5408410.ece |access-date=2014-06-24 |work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref> [[Sunny Joseph]], best known for his high-profile [[Malayalam cinema|Malayalam]] works with directors [[Adoor Gopalakrishnan]] and [[Shaji N. Karun]], was signed as [[cinematographer]].

=== Filming ===

The film has been shot in the five main locations of Ramanujan's life, [[Kumbakonam]], [[Namakkal]], [[Chennai]], [[London]] and [[Cambridge]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cast and Crew of Ramanujan |url=http://www.camphorcinema.com/projects/ |access-date=26 April 2014 |publisher=Camphor Cinema}}</ref> The first two schedules were shot in [[India]] while the third was done in [[England]], where they took the permission of [[Cambridge University]] to shoot.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ramanujan gets Cambridge University nod for film shoot |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news-interviews/Ramanujan-gets-Cambridge-University-nod-for-film-shoot/articleshow/22936125.cms |access-date=26 April 2014 |work=Times of India}}</ref> The task to create a script in multiple languages was described by [[Sindhu Rajasekaran]] as "quite a chore. Roxane de Rouen and I are working with Gnana Rajasekaran, the director of ‘Ramanujan,’ to make the characters speak words that make them real. No, you wouldn't find roadside urchins who speak in Queen's English here; people would speak what comes to them naturally: Tamil, English, Indian English, even Tamenglish. What a delight it is to live in this world where languages are not borders, but an element to experiment with..."<ref>{{Cite web |title=CAMPHOR CINEMA'S INDO – BRITISH COLLABORATION |url=http://www.thisweekguwahati.com/?p=23979 |access-date=26 April 2014 |publisher=This Week Guwahati |archive-date=26 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426232306/http://www.thisweekguwahati.com/?p=23979 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Music==
{{Main|Ramanujan (soundtrack)}}
{{quote box
|quote="My music tries to delve into the unfathomable mysterious and mystical mind of Ramanujan in its own world, which invariably found bliss in the triumph of originating newer and newer theorems. The music represents the tribulations of Ramanujan's life torn between hope and despair, and the loneliness that came along with the genius".
|source= — Vinayakam, on composing the music for ''Ramanujan''<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 June 2014 |title=Ramanujan audio launched |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/music/Ramanujan-audio-launched/articleshow/36536478.cms |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref>
|align=right
|width=50%
}}
The film's soundtrack and score were composed by [[Ramesh Vinayakam]].<ref name="thehindu1">{{Cite news |last=IANS |date=2014-06-14 |title='Ramanujan' music represents his life's tribulations: composer |url=http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/ramanujan-music-represents-his-lifes-tribulations-composer/article6114755.ece |access-date=2014-06-24 |work=The Hindu}}</ref> The music consisted of classical and orchestral pieces, recorded by the GermanPops Orchestra, whereas the songs being related to mathematical terms.<ref name="thehindu2">{{Cite news |last=Srinivasa Ramanujam |title=Of music and mathematics |url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/of-music-and-mathematics/article6136695.ece |access-date=2014-06-24 |work=The Hindu}}</ref> The soundtrack album of ''Ramanujan'', which features eight tracks, including four songs and four [[instrumental]]s, was released at the [[Suryan FM 93.5|Suryan FM]] radio station in [[Chennai]] on 13 June 2014 to positive reviews from critics.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Features |first=Express |title=Ramanujan's Audio Hits the Airwaves |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/Ramanujans-Audio-Hits-the-Airwaves/2014/06/14/article2279003.ece |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224045105/http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/Ramanujans-Audio-Hits-the-Airwaves/2014/06/14/article2279003.ece |archive-date=24 December 2014 |access-date=2014-06-24 |work=The New Indian Express}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ramanujan audio launched |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/music/Ramanujan-audio-launched/articleshow/36536478.cms |access-date=2020-08-06 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref>

== Release ==
The official trailer of the film was released on 16 June 2014.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Trailer of Ramanujan featuring Bhama is out |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/Trailer-of-Ramanujan-featuring-Bhama-is-out/articleshow/36647926.cms |access-date=2020-08-06 |website=The Times of India |date=16 June 2014 |language=en}}</ref> On 9 July 2014, the producers of Ramanujan arranged a special screening at the [[Rashtrapati Bhavan]], receiving an invitation from the president [[Pranab Mukherjee]].<ref name=":0" /> The film was simultaneously released in [[India]] and [[United Kingdom]] in Tamil and English languages on 11 July 2014. After the film's theatrical run, the makers released the [[Video CD|VCD]] and [[DVD]] formats of the film in late 2014, which featured the making video, behind-the-scenes featurette, and deleted scenes from the film.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ramanujan releases behind the scene featurette |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/Ramanujan-releases-behind-the-scene-featurette/articleshow/35885103.cms |access-date=2020-08-06 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref>

==Reception==
The film received mixed reviews from critics, who generally praised the acting but criticized the writing. The ''[[Deccan Chronicle]]'' called ''Ramanujan'' "a brilliant piece on canvas with edifying moments and relevance to modern age" and went on to add that it was "not to be missed", giving it 3.5/5 stars.<ref>Anupama Subramanian (2014-07-11) [https://www.deccanchronicle.com/140711/entertainment-kollywood/article/movie-review-ramanujan-film-not-be-missed Ramanujan movie review – Deccan Chronicle] Retrieved 2014-07-12</ref> S. Saraswathi of ''[[Rediff]]'' wrote, "''Ramanujan'' is a brilliant film, a must watch" and gave the film 4/5.<ref>[http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-ramanujan-is-a-must-watch-south/20140711.htm Ramanujan movie review – Rediff] Retrieved 2014-07-12</ref> Gautaman Bhaskaran of ''[[Hindustan Times]]'' gave the film 3/5 stars and wrote, "The movie is a poignant look at the way a prodigy struggled and suffered in a penurious family, a mastermind whose mathematical wizardry invited ridicule and revulsion in far lesser mortals. Rajasekaran, who also scripted the film, takes us through a linear narrative to tell us about the intelligence of boy Ramanujan as he completely foxes his school-master with a little insight into the importance of zero, and later about his frustration when he hits a wall in his quest to sink into, and shine, with numbers".<ref>Gautaman Bhaskaran (2014-07-11) [http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/reviews/movie-review-ramanujan-a-miscast-genius/article1-1239267.aspx Ramanujan movie review – The Hindustan Times] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714093340/http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/reviews/movie-review-ramanujan-a-miscast-genius/article1-1239267.aspx |date=14 July 2014 }} Retrieved 2014-07-12</ref> ''[[Sify ]]''wrote, "Making biopics is indeed very challenging and the director has been successful to a very large extent to bring out each and every character. Gnana Rajasekaran has done a well-researched biopic on Ramanujam...it is a film that is definitely worth viewing".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140711164229/http://www.sify.com/movies/ramanujan-review-tamil-15057959.html Ramanujan movie review – Sify] Retrieved 2014-07-12</ref> [[Indo-Asian News Service|IANS]] gave it 3/5 and wrote, "Gnana Rajasekaran certainly knows the art and succeeds narrating an inspiring tale, but his work doesn’t resonate deep within. This is so because the director merely recreates several important episodes from Ramanujan’s life on the screen while ignoring the need to build a screenplay to keep the viewers hooked".<ref>[http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/regional/ramanujan-inspiring-biopic-but-doesnt-resonate-tamil-movie-review/99/ Ramanujan movie review – IANS] Retrieved 2014-07-13</ref> Bharath Vijayakumar of ''Moviecrow'' rated 3/5 stars and said, "Ramanujan is a noble effort and a fascinating insight about the life and times of this Maths Wizard who lived all his life in unison with his true love.".<ref>[http://www.moviecrow.com/movie/1515/ramanujan-tamil-movie-review Ramanujan review – Moviecrow] Retrieved 2014-07-13</ref>

In contrast, ''[[The New Indian Express]]'' wrote, "The director’s persistent effort to bring on celluloid lives of eminent people is laudable. But a movie is not only about the theme, but also about how it is presented on screen. And the presentation of the life and journey of the mathematical genius is disappointing and uninspiring".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140715065040/http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/A-Disappointing-and-Uninspiring-Biopic/2014/07/12/article2325647.ece1 Ramanujan movie review – The New Indian Express] Retrieved 2014-07-13</ref> [[Baradwaj Rangan]] of ''[[The Hindu]]'' wrote, "The film runs nearly three hours and it’s puzzling why it needed to. There appears to have been no effort to streamline the events of Ramanujan’s life. The writing, too, fails to make ''Ramanujan'' interesting", going on to add "The great man certainly deserved a better movie".<ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/cinema-reviews/they-got-the-formula-wrong/article6203946.ece?secpage=true&secname=entertainmentRamanujan movie review – The Hindu] Retrieved 2014-07-13</ref> M. Suganth of ''[[The Times Of India]]'' gave 2.5/5 and wrote, "For a film that is about a man with astounding talent, the filmmaking is largely unimaginative. The staging is somewhat old-fashioned (read dated), the pacing staid and the film often slips into the kind of melodrama that you nowadays find in TV serials.".<ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/Ramanujan/movie-review/38265133.cms Ramanujan movie review] Retrieved 2014-07-13</ref> ''Daily India'' gave 2.5/5 and stated, "In overall, ''Ramanujan'' is a cleanly made and it's a very rare kind of movie in biopics genre. Editing and cinematography is worth praising. Abhinay Vaddi, the grandson of veteran Tamil film actor Gemini Ganesan done a good job and made justice to their roles.".<ref>[http://www.dailyindia.org/ramanujan-tamil-movie-review-rating/ Ramanujan movie review – Daily India] Retrieved 2014-07-13</ref> ''Indiaglitz'' gave 2.25/5 and wrote, "An honest attempt to drive through the life of a genius gets stuck at lot of bumpers.".<ref>[https://www.indiaglitz.com/ramanujan-tamil-movie-review-18329 Ramanujan movie review – Indiaglitz] Retrieved 2014-07-12</ref>

== Awards ==
''Ramanujan'' won the [[Tamil Nadu State Film Awards|Tamil Nadu State Film Award]] for [[Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film|Best Film]] of 2013.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-07-14 |title=2009-14 Tamil Nadu film awards announced |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/kollywood/140717/2009-14-tamil-nadu-film-awards-announced.html |access-date=2017-07-14 |work=Deccan Chronicle |language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[The Man Who Knew Infinity (film)|''The Man Who Knew Infinity'' (film)]]
* [[List of films about mathematicians]]

== References ==
{{reflist|3}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|3037162}}
{{Gnana Rajasekaran}}

[[Category:2014 films]]
[[Category:Biographical films about mathematicians]]
[[Category:2014 Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:2014 Indian films]]
[[Category:Indian biographical films]]
[[Category:Films about mathematics]]
[[Category:Indian independent films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Ramesh Vinayakam]]
[[Category:Indian films based on actual events]]
[[Category:Srinivasa Ramanujan]]
[[Category:2010s biographical films]]
[[Category:2014 independent films]]
[[Category:2014 multilingual films]]
[[Category:Indian multilingual films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Gnana Rajasekaran]]
[[Category:Tamil-language biographical films]]

Ramanujan (film) - Revision history

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