Vidya Balan on nepotism in Hindi film industry: ‘Kissi ki baap ki industry nahi hai’

Pratik, who burst onto screen with an inspired performance in Scam 92: The Harshad Mehta Story, spoke about his journey to success. After moving from Surat to Mumbai, he had his fair share of struggle. “TV rejected me outright. All the auditions that I gave… I got rejected. Their idea of an actor for a television show was a little different. My appearance didn’t work for them. They were looking for a certain kind of physique, skin color, and look,” he said.

Balan also spoke about the ‘witch-hunt’ she faced early in her career. “I was going through heartbreak for three years. That feeling of rejection was so strong and it was devastating. I was shattered and my will to continue on this path was shaken. But I have to say that the fire in my belly outshone everything else,” she said.

Presented by The Indian Express in collaboration with HSBC and The Taj Group of Hotels, the session was moderated by Justin Rao, Deputy Copy Editor, The Indian Express. The series aims to create eclectic, intimate, and intelligent content in the fields of art, culture and entertainment.

Balan and Pratik play a married couple who fall in love again whilst cheating on each other. Directed by Shirsha Guha Thakurta, it also stars Ileana D’Cruz and Sendhil Ramamurthy.