Vidya Balan says she waited for success like Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 for years: ‘My biggest hit to date’

Success after a patchy run 

The success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 marks a triumphant comeback for Vidya Balan, who had endured a patchy run at the box office in recent years. Despite earning praise for her performances, her films released post-pandemic either bypassed theaters or struggled to leave a lasting impact. BB3’s enduring popularity is a welcome reversal of fortunes, and Vidya is clearly basking in the glory of this long-awaited triumph.

Talking about Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, she says, “The film is doing so well, I am loving it. It is my biggest to date. Can this get any better?”

Watch the full interview here:

Dancing with Madhuri Dixit

Vidya has another reason to celebrate. Not only did she get to reprise her iconic role as Manjulika, but she also seized a “once-in-a-lifetime” chance to share the dance floor with the incomparable Madhuri Dixit, a legendary dancer and actress.

On this, she says, “I don’t even see myself as a dancer. But as an actor if you require me to dance then I’ll work towards it. And of course, if you have to dance with Madhuri Dixit then you work even harder and I did because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Look at it this way, people who have danced with her before are all dancers — Aishwarya Rai and Karisma Kapoor. So I was like if I am getting this opportunity then I’ll have to work doubly hard. I said, ‘let’s just have fun and enjoy it because there is no point stressing because there is no question of matching up to her but I did my bit.”

Vidya Balan’s 30 year journey

Vidya is on the cusp of a remarkable milestone as she prepares to celebrate 30 years in the entertainment industry next year. Her journey began in 1995 with Ekta Kapoor’s popular comedy TV sitcom Hum Paanch, where she made a lasting impression as Radhika Mathur. Reflecting on her illustrious career, Vidya shares her thoughts on the nostalgia and emotions that flood her mind when looking back at her remarkable trajectory.

Reminiscing about her journey, she says, “I feel very blessed. The only dream I ever had was to be an actor and I am living my dream. And, I am receiving money (breaks into cheerful laughter), receiving so much love, fame, glory, so much love… I love it, I thrive on it.”

A shift from female-led, content driven films

Vidya Balan has been a trailblazer in revolutionizing the depiction of women in Hindi cinema, thanks to her powerful performances in female-led films like The Dirty Picture, Kahaani, Kahaani 2, and Sherni. Marking a departure from her recent repertoire, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 sees her return to mainstream, mass-appealing cinema. When questioned if this signals a shift in her future projects, Vidya shared her thoughts. She said, “Oh absolutely! But I hope that the so called female- led films also become mainstream commercial films…” But why is that not happening? She says, “It will happen, it will slowly happen. Right now hume humari filmein mil rahi hai… But I think it’s time for us to take ourselves less seriously in the female-led space and to have more fun.”

“There is a need for reinvention in that space at the moment. But I am very glad to have done Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and I think I want to do all kinds of films,” she adds.

Why have horror comedies become an audience favourite

Vidya reveals that she recently ventured out to gauge audience reactions to her film, and the experience left her exhilarated. She’s still basking in the thrill of witnessing viewers erupt into applause as she made her entrance on screen, and the collective gasp that filled the theater during Kartik Aaryan’s shocking finale.

When asked what is about the horror comedy genre that is working so well, Vidya shared, “I think it’s the thrill and at the same time you break out into a nervous laughter. I think that’s what people are enjoying. People just want to watch light stuff because there is enough dukh dard (grief and agony) in the world, paise de kar aur tension nahi lena hai, aur stress nahi lena hai (people don’t want to pay to get tension or stressed). I am just saying that at the moment the world needs laughter.”