Playing The Number Game

Devika Bhise has a personality that vivifies any room she walks into. The down-to-earth charmer may not be a household name yet, but, with prized movie offers in her kitty, she is on her road to fame.

An elegant Bharatnatyam dancer, Devika has been singing, acting and performing since she was a five-year-old. She participated in the theatre programme at John Hopkins University, bagging the Hodson Trust Scholarship for outstanding academics, leadership and community service.

She is currently in the news for having landed a meaty part opposite Dev Patel in the film The Man Who Knew Infinity, a biopic on the life of Srinivasa Ramanujan, the Indian mathematical genius. Whether you call it fate or pure coincidence, Devika isn’t new to this particular story – having already starred in The Partition, a play based on Robert Kanigel’s book, The Man Who Knew Infinity, which forms the basis for the film. She says, “It was really helpful to have acted in the play, even though it was a different role. The play was more mystical and less of a biography, and I played a goddess who is mentioned in the book. But, in the movie, I am the only female lead aside from Ramanujan’s mother.” This proves that she has come a long way from playing a bit role in the Uma Thurman-starrer The Accidental Husband.

Although she was born in Manhattan, the small-built, soft-spoken actress travels to India twice every year to make a trip to her home in Mumbai and visit Goa. This multi-city culture translates well into her personal style, which is very Manhattan with an authentic Indian flair. “I have the amazing chance to come here and get chunky, intricate jewellery, accessories and unique clothing. Back in America, everyone keeps asking me ‘Where did you get that?’ because I stand out in Manhattan.”