In a world flush with designer gowns and Western labels, she takes great pride in sashaying down red carpets in saris and home-grown couture. Arguably one of the most natural performers in contemporary cinema, Vidya Balan packs a punch on celluloid. The down-to-earth actor speaks to Shraddha Jahagirdar-Saxena about being an exception to the rule, following her heart and living life on her own terms.
A little over a decade ago, without much brouhaha, she made a quiet debut on the Hindi film firmament, draped in simple saris, her forehead sporting a huge bindi. With overwhelming self-confidence, gentle grace and a very Indian vibe, the newbie film actor — who had earlier been seen in music videos and television commercials — took one’s breath away. And Pradeep Sarkar’s Parineeta effortlessly wooed the silver screen, and she swept the debut awards for the year. Vidya Balan was here to stay.
Her versatility — that seems to come so naturally to her — makes her a plum favourite with thinking directors, those who want their heroine to do something different. Balan can morph herself into almost any character. In her most recent release Te3n, a thriller, she gives an able turn under the directorial baton of Ribhu Dasgupta. The film is co-produced by Sujoy Ghosh, under whose aegis she had earlier impressed in the award-winning Kahaani.
As an actor, Balan admits that she unabashedly seeks new and meaty roles. Just before she travels to Jharkhand for her Begum Jaan schedule — the Hindi remake of a Bengal partition tale where she plays a brothel madam — she keeps a date with Verve at a suburban five-star hotel. Arriving on the dot of the appointed hour, she sits serenely, facing the huge window, as if she is watching the world go by.
Later, as we chat, ensconced in sofas in the suite — her portion of idli-sambar and chutney polished off — referring to the brave choices she has made, she emphasises, “I am a greedy actor and that greed is what drives me to do different kinds of roles. So when I am offered a film that may not be conventional, I just follow my instincts and do the work I want to” — even if it is a cameo in Ekk Albela where she was seen as the legendary actor Geeta Bali.
This story is from the August 2016 edition of Verve.
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This story is from the August 2016 edition of Verve.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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