Ramanujan biopic 'Dreams of Ramanujan' to blend past and future

Director R.S. Prasanna, following the success of "Sitaare Zameen Par," is developing an ambitious biopic titled "Dreams of Ramanujan." This project aims to be a global collaboration, merging Indian and Western creative teams. The film is currently in script development, with production targeted to begin by late 2026 or early 2027.

Prasanna describes "Dreams of Ramanujan" as a "biopic on steroids," intending to weave together the mathematician's historical narrative with the present-day impact of his work. A recent discovery linking Ramanujan's mathematics to quantum mechanics and black hole behavior inspired Prasanna to advance the project. The film will feature a dual timeline, contrasting Ramanujan's journey from poverty in South India to Cambridge University with modern-day relevance.

The director intends to portray Ramanujan's genius as a transcendent experience, drawing parallels to composer Ilaiyaraaja's creative process. The narrative will also explore themes of immigration and cross-cultural collaboration, particularly Ramanujan's relationship with British mathematician G.H. Hardy. Prasanna plans to make mathematics visually accessible, inspired by films like "The Big Short."

The project is envisioned as a multilingual film, incorporating both Tamil and English. Prasanna is maintaining creative control during development, focusing on script completion before approaching studios. He aims to render Ramanujan's credited divine insights cinematically through dreamscape sequences. Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887-1920) was a self-taught prodigy whose work on number theory and infinite series continues to influence modern science.