BENGALURU: She radiates that perfect blend of cheeky humour and grace. Donning beautiful handwoven black attire with patterned gold accents, she captivates her audience, just as she once did with her famous one-liner, “Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment.”
Renowned actor Vidya Balan was recently in the city to promote handloom and textiles at an event organised by FICCI FLO. “I love Bengaluru. I’m so happy that the weather is so gorgeous today – coming from Mumbai, it’s such a welcome change, it was so much fun and I laughed a lot! I am going back happy!” Balan tells us before dashing off to catch her flight back to Mumbai.
The iconic actor is known for her love of sarees and has emerged as an ambassador for handlooms and local artisans in recent years. “I believe we first need to celebrate the weaves that only this country produces. The more we begin to wear it, the more it becomes a part of our identity. We should tell people that ‘there is no one way to wear a saree; wear it the way you want. It’s the most versatile garment, and you can style it for any occasion,’” shares Balan.
The 45-year-old actor, who is also seen as an icon for body positivity, says that the saree has always meant comfort for her. “You don’t have to struggle to fit into it. It allows you to be your most authentic self,” she says with a smile. “The saree has been with me through various sizes in my life, and I always feel sexy and confident when I wear one. It’s very important to feel sexy at any age.”
Revealing her process of preparing for roles, she laughs, “I get bored with being myself a lot. Acting allows me to create excitement in my life by living another person’s life. Whatever it takes for me to completely transform into that character, I’m ready to do it. There’s always some preparation involved in every film I’ve done, except maybe Bhool Bhulaiyaa which was just me.” The actor’s role in the hit 2007 film as Avni Chaturvedi, embodying the malevolent spirit Manjulika, became a resounding success; a role that she will be reprising in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, set for a Deepavali release.
Reflecting on her roles in biopics such as The Dirty Picture, where she played South film icon Silk Smitha, and Bengaluru’s ‘Human Computer’ Shakuntala Devi in the film of the same name, Balan expresses how these films profoundly impacted her. “These films impacted me more than any other because they were about real people – people who were real flesh and blood, not just figments of someone’s imagination. Both films liberated me greatly,” she shares.
Before all the success, Balan had to brave tough challenges early on in her career. “I faced a lot of rejection initially in the South. I was replaced in about 12 films. I was even labelled a jinx in the Malayalam film industry. I completely lost my confidence. But every experience, when I look back now, made me who I am today, and I like who I am today,” she reflects.
“All the setbacks were part of my journey.”
The actor, who is known for her powerful performances in films like Kahaani and Begum Jaan, also expresses a strong desire to experiment with comedy. “I do a lot of comedy on Instagram, but in the film industry, they don’t really write comedy roles for female actors. There used to be someone like Sridevi, who did wonderful work in comedy films like ChaalBaaz and Mr India. I would love the opportunity to at least try my hand at comedy,” says Balan, whose comedy reels have made her popular on social media.
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