This film screening and discussion aims not only to recall the significant contribution of both scientists and their commitment to teaching, but also to reflect upon the need to document and contextualise the work being done in the sciences in India.
Filmmaker Swati Dandekar & Sunil Shanbag will be in conversation with Theoretical Physicist, Bala Iyer & Astrophysicist, Ajith Parameswaran on Thursday, 17th Dec at 6:30 pm (IST). This virtual event is brought to you in collaboration with Bangalore International Centre (BIC). These films were commissioned by The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA).
Register for the conversation
Movie: Professor Vaidya
A Film on PC Vaidya (30 mins)
Research and script: Swati Dandekar
Directed by Sunil Shanbag
The movie can be viewed online till 21 Dec using the following link.
https://vimeo.com/488861239/4b28679c0a
Synopsis: Einstein's theory of gravity is described by a set of rather complicated equations which use the mathematics of Riemannian geometry.It is very difficult to solve these equations, particularly to find solutions which describe physically interesting situations. But in 1942 Prahlad Chunilal Vaidya, a young mathematician, did pioneering work which did just this. The Vaidya Metric, as his seminal work came to be known, provided a solution of Einstein’s equations which apply to the gravitational field of a star which is emitting a great deal of radiation. Vaidya’s work came at a time when few solutions of Einstein's equation were known, and when circumstances for research were difficult in India. Vaidya's passion for mathematics saw him engaging intensely with mathematics education in schools and universities, and inspired a grass roots popular mathematics movement in Gujarat. This is the story of his remarkable life.
Movie: AKR
A film on Professor AK Raychaudhuri (33 mins)
Research and script: Swati Dandekar
Directed by Sunil Shanbag
The movie can be viewed online till 21 Dec using the following link.
https://vimeo.com/488869071/7b4413c50b
Synopsis: Among relativists across the world working on the problem of an expanding universe, as predicted by Einstein, was a young, still unknown, researcher in Kolkata, Amal Kumar Raychaudhuri. His seminal work showed how a complex universe which was not the same at all points, which rotated and had shearing motions, could be studied. Raychaudhuri's equation provided a remarkably simple way to describe these complexities, and the equation has been used by Stephen Hawking, Roger Penrose and others to show that singularities are endemic to Einstein's theory. This equation will stand firm until Einstein’s framework for gravity stands.But Raychaudhuri's life was a struggle to prove himself, to hold firm in the face of scepticism, and a lack of resources for research. Though Prof AK Raychaudhuri received international recognition for his work and continued to make pioneering contributions to gravitational theory and cosmology, he remained relatively unknown outside the scientific world. The film traces the story of the man who inspired three generations of students.
