From the gutsy, calculating and almost manic Vidya Bagchi in Kahaani to the helpless, sniveling and totally dull Vasudha Prasad in Hamari Adhuri Kahani, we aren’t talking about Vidya Balan’s versatility here. We’re witnessing an unfortunate nosedive in the actress’ qualitative choice of films. The actress who was once considered a guaranteed box-office opener is now featuring in increasingly underwhelming films with completely inadequate roles. It almost looks like Vidya wants to pull the plug on her filmi career.
But Vidya isn’t a stranger to professional lows. After an impressive debut in Parineeta in 2005, the next 5 years seemed to have sped past for the actress, which was spent whiling away trying to fit into the image of the conventional Bollywood heroine with films like Hey Baby and Kismat Konnection. Vidya finally came into her own with Ishqiya. Though Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi walked away with most of the applause, the audience sat up and took notice (once again) of the Parineeta-wali actress.
Somewhere between fighting off all the negative talk about her weight and replenishing her wardrobe with Sabyasachi’s sarees, Vidya was going through a process of self-realization:
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
By deftly playing Sabrina Lal in No One Killed Jessica, as both feisty and helpless in turn, Vidya Balan rose from the ashes in 2011. Her career graph rocketed with The Dirty Picture, in which Vidya’s uninhibited portrayal of Silk left the audience wanting more. And they got plenty more in Kahaani, which stamped over almost every revered Bollywood norm that traditionally defined what makes a hit.
Vidya Balan had arrived and how, looking more influential and invincible than Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit in the 80s and 90s. Just when it seemed she could do no wrong, the tide turned. Ghanchakkar got a mixed response, followed by Shaadi Ke Side Effects and Bobby Jasoos, both of which tanked at the box office.
Looking back, ironically, Vidya seemed to have made her best choices while going through a tumultuous personal phase. The weight and wardrobe issues apart, her relationship with Shahid also brought her out of the bubble she was in. She allegedly refers to Shahid in this interview post working with him in Kismat Konnection:
If someone who matters to you talks you down, it can break you. That someone whose approval mattered to me started to constantly find faults with me. It started reflecting on me. At that point of time, it was important to walk away from that relationship. I don’t want to take his name.
– Vidya Balan
Post Kahaani, Vidya’s relationship status went from – ‘It’s Complicated’ to ‘Married’ in 2012. Did complacency get the better of this talented actress?
More recently Vidya surprised and shocked everyone by turning down Sujoy Ghosh’s new film at the last minute. After reportedly agreeing to do the film by the Kahaani director in principle, the actress did an about turn just a few days before the film was to go into production. Rumour has it that Vidya didn’t want to play a mother to a teenage girl as was the requirement of the role. Now this is not the Vidya we knew or even Sujoy knew. The filmmaker just posted this tweet and moved on:
Vidya Balan chose to do Mohit Suri’s Hamari Adhuri Kahani instead. If you’ve seen the film, the first question that comes to mind as the end credits crawl up is - why would Vidya sign up for this? In an age when she has to keep up with the Kanganas, why would she star in a melodramatic soulless film straight out of the 80s? Come on Vidya, remember you famously said it yourself back in 2011:
Filmein sirf teen cheezo ke wajah se chalti hai... entertainment, entertainment, entertainment... aur main entertainment hoon.
We need some of that Silk’s spunk back.
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