'The Man Who Knew...' unravels the mystique of Ramanujan Rating: *****

There are two love stories coursing through the arteries of this agile yet supine biopic. Ramanujan’s unfulfilled love for his wife Janaki (Devika Bhise) whom he leaves behind in the village in Tamil Nadu in the dubious care of his mother (Arundhati Nag) is imagined as a famished, restless relationship pining for consumption. Dev Patel and newcomer Devika Bhise play out this love story of spousal separation with aching ardour staged by the seaside to signify the theme of a thirst that cannot be quenched.But it’s the other love story that provides a centre to the tale of the mathematical wizard’s quest for a harmony between self-discovery and worldly success.