Lead role

Of ‘Kahaani’ she says,“It is not an easy film. It would be wrong to compare it to ‘The Dirty Picture’ which was also very tough. However,while that had music and dance and colour that made it easier to be liked,’Kahaani’ had none of them. I play a pregnant woman,and knowing that people have liked it is such a validation.”

‘Kahaani’ saw her not only as a pregnant woman,but one ambling about Kolkata in loose maternity clothes with minimal makeup,and yet her performance was convincing,bordering on bravura. “It is about transporting yourself to a different world. When the lines between you and the character get blurred,it is acting. Over the years I have seen that happen which is very fulfilling,” avers Balan.

“After this film I am so tired,that I feel exactly like a mother who has delivered a baby,” she says,adding that director Sujoy Ghosh helped her keep the character lifelike. “There were times when I felt really grubby,but he would advise me against a touch-up,reminding me that I was playing a pregnant woman roaming the streets of Kolkata. And I am glad he did because it makes a character much more believable.”

Balan says that she does not believe in the number game. But,the numbers are out there for everyone to see and understand that in the last three years she has proved to be a gamechanger as far as the scope and significance of actresses in films is concerned. With her dogged determination to be true to the script,Balan has also changed the perception of heroines in Hindi films. It started with ‘Paa’ (2009),wherein she won hearts and accolades as a modern day single mother of a progeria ridden child played by Mr Bachchan. She then bettered it with her outing as a scheming widow in ‘Ishqiya’ (2010) followed by the reticent and quietly brave Sabrina Lal (2011) in ‘No One Killed Jessica’,Silk in ‘The Dirty Picture’ (2011) and now Vidya Bagchi in ‘Kahaani’ (2012)!

That she is the main draw for the audience in films toplining her is a huge paradigm shift in an industry where “openings” are determined by the male star. Balan,for medium-budget projects,is now considered a safe option since her films are equated with good quality,innovative cinema.

Director Sujoy Ghosh actually refused to turn the story into one with a male protagonist to make it more market-friendly. Or to introduce a special appearance by a top-league male star. In fact,he went against all “sound advice” and chose to rest the burden of his film and career on Vidya’s shoulders. It speaks volumes of the faith her abilities can evoke.

“I am so glad he did not do any of those things,” says Balan cheerfully.

And,yet she has still not made headlines for the price that she could choose to command,which makes her a much-desired commodity in an industry where even deep pockets run scared of starry demands and prices.

Filmmakers for one are thrilled with Vidya’s ability to be the character they have envisioned,even if it goes against her grain,and are in awe of her extraordinary ability to transcend stardom and slip into ordinariness as soon as the cameras roll. Mentor Pradeep Sarkar,who gave her a break in ‘Parineeta’,speaks highly of her “keeda” to do all kind of role. Her Indianness—Big B has likened her to yesteryear star Waheeda Rahman—is the key to her widespread appeal in times when an anorexic ideal is being aggressively pursued.

Milan Luthria,who directed her in ‘The Dirty Picture’,was of the opinion that Vidya is to actresses what Aamir Khan is to male stars! It’s a contention that increasingly more people are beginning to subscribe to.

That all these high-content movies with Vidya in a variety of roles with a low glamour quotient did well at the box-office has only helped challenge the industry’s time-tested notion about “heroine-dominated” films. It has also forced a rethink on the presentation,and role of heroines in contemporary Hindi films. Vidya,the actress,has inadvertently changed the perception of actresses in mainstream cinema with her brave choices. She is,however,humble when speaking of it. “I may be seen as the face of that change but there are lots of people who are affecting that change. I am just grateful that I have not let go of these opportunities that have come my way.”

Role by Vidya Balan and films:

2009

‘Paa’

Vidya played the mother to Amitabh Bachchan’s Auro,a 13 year-old boy affected by progeria.

2010

‘Ishqiya’

As Krishna Verma,Vidya turned out an award-winning performance of a 30 year-old sensuous and scheming widow

2011

‘No One Killed Jessica’

Vidya essayed the role of Sabrina Lall,who relentlessly fights to get justice for her slain sister Jessica

2011

‘The Dirty Picture’

The role that fetched her the National Award had Vidya playing Silk,a loud and in-your-face southern sex bomb

2012

‘Kahaani’

Vidya essays a seven- months pregnant women,who comes from London to Kolkata in search of her missing husband

priyanka.sinha@expressindia.com