Exclusive: Vidya Balan on 10 Yrs in the Movies

After completing a decade and on the eve the release of her 18th film, Vidya Balan looks back on her filmi journey

(Photo: Yogen Shah)

It’s been an eventful decade for 37-year-old Vidya Balan, the actress has worked in 18 film, got numerous awards, including two National Awards, got married while she was at the peak of her career after hits like The Dirty Picture and Kahaani.

At a time when female lead roles weren’t coming easy, Vidya made everyone sit up and take notice. Film trade analyst, Taran Adarsh had famously said, “The Khans and Vidya Balan are the only people who can get a fab box office opening.”

Vidya Balan in Hamari Adhuri Kahani

Three years and three flops later, Vidya is again raring to go with Hamari Adhuri Kahani. But the actress who debuted with Parineeta ten years back, says that knew that she was here to stay,“Ten years back somewhere deep down I knew I was here to stay. Having said that the day of Parineeta’s release I was just happy to be on the big screen. I was part of Hindi cinema. The premiere had gone off so well that it seemed that the world had acknowledged me and I was so excited and I was so glad that it had happened that it didn’t matter that there were 10 more days, 10 more months or 10 more years but somewhere deep down I have always known am here to stay.”

Vidya remembers her lean phase post Hey Baby and Kismat Konnection as a learning experience. “I am so grateful for that phase as it charted the future course for me going forward from that point. There was a whole lot of self-discovery. It was almost self-affirming, that phase. I reclaimed myself at that time.”

Vidya Balan in Kahaani

Is there anything that she wanted to and hasn’t achieved in these ten years? “I wanted to be directed by Mahesh Bhatt and Gulzar. He gave up direction before I started acting. Though he hasn’t officially stated that he has given up direction but he has. He has not made a film in a while. Those are the two things that aren’t complete. But otherwise I have achieved far more and far better than what I could imagine. Now half of that is also complete because I got to work with Bhatt saab as a writer. Hamari Adhuri Kahani is my 18th film.”

And finally Vidya is happy to be part of a romantic drama after a long time, “I am big sucker for love stories. It’s in the zone of Parineeta or a Lamhe or Silsila, Aandhi… those are the kind of films I have always enjoyed. After Parineeta, this is a first all out romantic film I am doing. Humari adhuri khwaish Bhatt saab ne puri kar di.”