It has been more than a decade since Vidya Balan debuted in Bollywood with Parineeta, but the actress continues to stun everyone with her simplicity. Dressed in her trademark Indian wear she says about her latest flick Kahaani 2, “The story and treatment are completely new. But, it’s similar because Sujoy Ghosh (the director) gets into the personal spaces of his characters, into their heads, and gets out the best.”
Vidya admits that she broke down during the filming of the intense family drama and thriller. “I get absorbed and consumed by the role I’m playing, which is why after a film, I need some time to get back to normal and ‘cleanse’ myself,” she says.
Before Vidya made it big in the film industry she was a household name as ‘Radhika’, from the hugely popular television sitcom Hum Paanch, where she began her career. She recently even met the cast of the show to shoot a special episode. “It didn’t seem like it has been long since I met them. We’ve all grown in different ways,” she says, while adding, “But I still have a long way to go. The journey has been fulfilling, but I’m happy only for now and will get hungry in a couple of hours.”
Vidya has set a positive example for working women who’ve gone on to continue working long after tying the knot. She says, “In Bollywood, actresses like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor are acting even after getting married. Ash looked lovely in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Does she look like she has a five-year-old kid?”
Vidya has carried films on her shoulders and delivered hits without a male lead. She believes that more movies on women must be made. “It cannot always be about men! Stories about women must be told. I try taking up movies where a woman has a pivotal role,” she says.
While a lot of people have approached Vidya to write a book on her, she doesn’t think it’s time yet. The actress says, “I don’t have the discipline to sit down and write an autobiography. It’s a lonely process. Maybe I’ll have to hire a writer who can do it for me.”
Vidya is open to explore the South film industry, provided there is a good role and a compelling story. “A lot of people have approached me, but nothing has worked out so far. Down South, I love Nithya Menon. She is lovely,” says the actress, adding that her other favourite actresses are “Alia Bhatt, Kangana Ranaut, Anushka Sharma and Sonakshi Sinha.”
Vidya is one actress who hasn’t shied away from going makeup free. “Just be yourself. I like myself best without makeup. I don’t understand why people make a fuss about it,” she says.
Rumours about her and husband Siddharth keep doing the rounds and Vidya is unperturbed. “I just laugh off the rumours. They don’t upset me at all,” says Vidya.
Asked to describe a typical day in her life, Vidya says, “If I’m not working, I wake up at 8, have a lazy cup of chai and then talk to my husband. I visit my parents too.”
