4 min readNew DelhiAug 31, 2026 10:00 PM IST
Bollywood actor Tara Sutaria feels lucky that her father helps her with all things money. From investing smartly to building a “diverse portfolio,” the Toxic actor recently opened up about the importance of staying on top of your finances, especially as a woman. She also admitted to suffering from dyscalculia, a learning disability that makes it challenging for her to navigate the world of numbers:
“I’m lucky, because my dad helps me with financial literacy. It’s important to know everything about your bank work, paper work, how to really take care of your finances as a woman. I do try to understand as much as I can, but I have a learning disability, a maths learning disability called dyscalculia. I try, but more often that not, I make a mistake. So, I need my accounts team, they look into everything,” Sutaria told Hauterrfly.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.
But first things first, what exactly is dyscalculia?
Dr Sharadhi C, Consultant – Psychiatry, Aster CMI Hospital, Bangalore, says dyscalculia is a learning difficulty that affects how a person understands and works with numbers, much like dyslexia affects reading.
According to her, a person with dyscalculia may find simple calculations, remembering numbers, understanding time, handling money, reading graphs, judging distances or following numerical instructions more difficult, even though they may have normal intelligence and strong abilities in other areas.
“It can be noticed in childhood but can also continue into adulthood, and adults may only recognise the condition later when everyday tasks or work begin to make their difficulties more visible,” she tells indianexpress.com.
Dyscalculia affects a person’s ability to understand simple arithmetic. (Source: Instagram/@tarasutaria)
Which areas of life can dyscalculia affect?
Dr Sharadhi believes dyscalculia can throw a wrench in daily-life activities such as:
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- Calculating change while shopping
- Budgeting monthly expenses
- Reading a bill
- Understanding discounts
- Following a recipe
- Remembering phone numbers
- Estimating how long a journey will take
- Reading timetables or interpreting statistics
“These difficulties can sometimes lead to mistakes, frustration, anxiety or a lack of confidence, particularly when a person feels they are expected to perform calculations quickly,” says Dr Sharadhi. But she reiterates that by no means does dyscalculia make a person less intelligent.
“Many people with the condition develop strong problem-solving, creative, verbal or visual skills and can manage everyday life successfully with the right support and strategies,” she adds.
Making life easy with dyscalculia
Dr Sharadhi says that people living with dyscalculia can make daily tasks easier by using calculators, smartphone apps, digital reminders, calendars and written step-by-step instructions instead of relying on mental calculations or memory.
“Keeping a simple budget template, checking bills twice, using visual aids such as clocks, charts and colour-coded information, and breaking complicated numerical tasks into smaller steps can reduce errors,” she suggests.
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At school or work, ask for instructions to be provided in writing, request extra time for number-based tasks and explain the condition to trusted teachers, colleagues or family members can also help, adds the expert.
But before getting started, Dr Sharadhi recommends getting a professional assessment from a psychologist, neuropsychologist or qualified specialist. “Identifying individual difficulties, getting appropriate support, and seeking help early can make it easier to build confidence and develop practical strategies for everyday life,” she concludes.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.
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