Vidya Balan, riding on the success of Paa, looks radiant. The petite actress has lost weight, gained confidence and seems very comfortable in her own skin. For someone whose sartorial sense has come under fire several times, she decided to make things work for her with single-minded determination. She has plunged into a diet and lifestyle overhaul. She candidly talks about the before-and-after moments, “I went through a phase where I didn’t know whether I was coming or going. Initially, the criticism used to hurt because I didn’t even know what I was doing wrong. I had slipped up, become lackadaisical. It was my biggest dream to become an actress and it had come true. I got a bit lazy and wasn’t doing my best. I finally admitted I was not being myself, superficially, you could see it in the clothes. People were telling me that I should reinvent myself. I’m grateful that I have a strong image and I realised I was fighting that. Today, I’m no longer apologetic about who I am.” Vidya did give in to the pressure for a while, and admits that she went hopelessly wrong. That’s when she took a break and went to New York. She says, “I needed to keep away to gain a sense of perspective.” About a year ago, she realised that a lifestyle change was in order. That’s when Atul Kasbekar recommended Vilayat Hussain, her trainer. He was shocked to hear about her dietary habits, even though she had the energy for a rigorous yoga session. She recalls, “I’ve always exercised, but I was doing the wrong thing. I was not particular about my diet. I would not eat for 12-14 hours at a stretch, I would survive on chai. I thought it was uncool to eat between meetings and during shoots. I used to sleep for only three-four hours, which was disastrous. That slows down your metabolism.” Her trainer sent her to a dietician, who advised her to eat every two hours. Vidya says, “I found it difficult to eat so often at first. I’d plateaued even after the diet had started. But I said I won’t give up because my energy level has shot up. For the first time in my life, I began enjoying my workouts and was able to sustain my workout for a year. I’ve even gone running at Juhu beach at 11.30-12 in the night.” Vidya, though, was very particular that she didn’t want to lose her curves. “I don’t like the asexual look and didn’t want to look gaunt and withdrawn,” she says firmly. “We have to celebrate the Indian woman’s curves. I love the sensuousness of Indian clothes and will stick to my favourites… cotton sarees, Kanjeevaram sarees and outfits that work for me.” Her persistence did pay off and one day, she went for an event and everyone said she’d lost weight dramatically. She says with pride, “My skin was glowing, my hair looked better. And luckily, through the transformation, I retained my curves.” Vidya says that previously she couldn’t work out on the days she was shooting. Now that she had started sleeping longer, even if late, she tries to get at least six to eight hours of sleep. She says, “My metabolism has revved up. I work out about three times a week now as I’ve been busy between Paa and Ishqiya.” The change runs deeper. It has made her calmer and less snappy, she says. No more dark circles and she has the energy one needs to emote for the camera. Vidya has the final word on the lifestyle change. She talks about the most important aspect, “If you’re not happy from within, the changes will not show. Sometimes you’re upset about a relationship, a film could be stressful, people in the industry are high strung and handling egos can be tricky. Or you get very little time for yourself. Sometimes, you just don’t want to be around people. One has to be careful, you can’t shoot your mouth off. So I pray a lot and that keeps me rooted and grounded. I don’t follow any rituals but I am a spiritual person.” DABBOO RATNANI ON VIDYA BALAN I didn’t have to push Vidya hard to bring out her sensual side. She loved the idea and it has changed the way people look at her. She’s very pretty, she photographs really well, all she needs is the right make-up, hair and lighting. She has very expressive eyes. She has lost weight, but her face always looked pretty. Now she fills in her clothes better, she is more comfortable with any angle and is more confident. She’s experimenting and is open to suggestions. Vidya is comfortable with sensuality, but is clear about the way it will be shot. She understands the aesthetics.

These days Vidya Balan is looking far prettier than she has ever looked. Her intense eyes sparkle with mirth, and her wide smile tells the story of a gratifying existence. Vidya, in her own words, is “herself” these days and has quit being someone else. May be that’s making the difference!

In a candid interview with Spicezee’s Swati Chaturvedi in her celebrity chat show ‘Kahiye Janab’, Vidya Balan opened up about her upcoming film ‘Ishqiya’, romance with Shahid Kapur and love for SRK.

Swati: Vidya, you are doing a film called ‘Ishqiya’, which is about ‘Ishq’(love) but what about real-life love?

Vidya: What do I say; I have always been in search for that special someone but that has not happened. (Laughs) Maybe after ‘Ishqiya’, love will enter my life.

Swati: It is being said that you have used indecent language in the film, which doesn’t go with your image. You have a girl-next-door kind of image and even your endorsements portray you as a simple girl, then what made you go for such a character?

Vidya: I play a character whose social background and upbringing is such that she uses indecent language. I am afraid I can’t divulge too much. I took up ‘Ishqiya’ because as an actor I don’t set limitations. Luckily, I balance meaningful cinema with commercial fairly well. I got an opportunity to explore a new horizon with this film. My character in the film is completely different from what you have seen me playing onscreen so far. Joy and satisfaction lies in this. If you set limitations for yourself in work, then your job becomes mundane. But if you go uninhibited, you enjoy it. I have moved out of my comfort zone for the film, which has been very fulfilling.

Swati: How did the film happen? How did Vishal Bhardwaj convince you to play the lead role in the film?

Vidya: Well, he didn’t convince me, I agreed to the role immediately after listening to the script. Vishal called me up and said that there is a script and Abhishek Chaubey will narrate it. Normally, I listen to a script twice but in this case, I had made up my mind during the first session itself. It is a very challenging role for any actor, especially for me because the ten films that I have done, I had mostly played the girl-next-door kind of roles. In this I had to shed all inhibitions, which I had gathered doing similar kind of roles. I worked on my dialect and the whole process was very exciting.

Swati: You are an outsider in the industry and may be that’s why you faced a lot of bad press. You were criticised for looking older than your co-stars, bad dress sense and all that. How did you bear it all? Vidya: I felt one thing – people care about me. My existence matters – this thought was very reassuring for me. I agree I did things which did not suit me. I was fortunate to have faced such criticism because then I realized, what I want to do and what I should not.

Swati: What are the things you don’t want to do?

Vidya: See, I was just trying to be someone else. I am different and now, I happily accept myself the way I am. If people were angry with me, it was because they wanted to remind me – ‘You are different, why don’t you be different’.

Swati: Do you think you have always been targeted for being an outsider with no backing?

Vidya: I don’t think on those lines – no filmy backing or joining camps etc. What matters to me is my family. It is my biggest support and ‘Sabse Bada Khiladi’ God is always with me.

Swati: Aren’t you angry with Shahid Kapur? Were you in a relationship with him?

Vidya: Yes, there was a relationship. He was my friend, my co-star.

Swati: Shahid has told me that you are not his friend and he doesn’t want anything to do with you.

The actress who has recently been in news for her newly acquired svelte figure is busy shooting for AB Corp’s Paa that hits theatres on the fourth of next month.

Balan is essaying the role of a mother whose son has a rare disorder, progeria wherein he ages abnormally fast.

In the movie she was expected to carry a boy on her shoulders. Apparently, the boy weighed as much as she and Vidya could not hold herself in place and tumbled.

After the fall Balan continued shooting and wrapped up the shot.