By Jilawatan

She took people back to the black and white era with her role in the period film “Parineeta”. Then came her fashion faux pas and a dip in the career graph. But a careful and confident Vidya Balan is on the rise again in Bollywood.

Though at 33 she is just six years old in the Hindi movie industry, her oeuvre is so impressive that there was a Vidya Balan retrospective at the Indian film fest in two Australian cities.

From playing a foul mouthed, manipulative vengeful woman in ” Ishqiya” to the mother of a progeria patient to a grieving sister in ” No One Killed Jessica”, Vidya has been proving her versatility with her nuanced handling of different characters.

Her much-talked-about forthcoming releases – director Milan Luthria’s “The Dirty Picture”, based on the life of Silk Smitha, south Indian cinema’s sex symbol, and Sujoy Ghosh’s thriller “Kahani” in which she plays a six-month pregnant woman – are expected to take her creativity to another level.

Applauding her work and choice of roles, director Sudhir Mishra said: “She is very brave and very gutsy. Hats off to Vidya. She will last longer. It will pay her off very well. She will be remembered as another kind of actress and remembered more than a lot of people. She should continue doing this kind of roles. She should do what she can do well. She should retain that uniqueness.”

Director Anurag Kashyap feels what Vidya is doing is pathbreaking. “I think she is showing the way for everyone else. Vidya’s fan following has increased 50-fold after the kind of work she started doing. We need her,” he added.

This Iyer girl from Palakkad in Kerala grew up in Mumbai. She did her graduation in sociology from St. Xavier’s College.

After award-winning debut with the period drama “Parineeta” (2005), she charmed her fans in a modern avatar in “Lage Raho Munna Bhai”. Her small but impressive role in ” Guru” too earned her accolades.

But after a meteoric rise to fame, her career took a dip post “Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love” and it seemed as if lady luck had deserted her completely. She was in the news for all the wrong reasons — from her choice of roles to co-stars to her looks in movies like “Heyy Babyy” and “Kismet Konnection” — she was criticised for everything.

By Jilawatan

Dismissing rumours that the two leading ladies of his forthcoming film No One Killed Jessica were at loggerheads, filmmaker Rajkumar Gupta says Rani Mukerji and Vidya Balan share a camaraderie and gel well.

It was reported that Vidya is not very happy with Rani because the Bengali beauty is hogging the limelight and taking maximum space in promotions. But Gupta called all the rumours baseless.

“I have been accompanying Rani and Vidya on most promotional events and they have been having a fabulous time. These are just rumours and there is no truth in these claims,” Gupta told IANS.

“I’ve seen how well they gel and the camaraderie that they share and the positivity with which they shot the film. So these are just rumours and not to be taken seriously,” he added.

Gupta, whose first film Aamir was a tale of a man’s struggle against terrorism, said that when he finished writing No One Killed Jessica, Rani and Vidya’s names instantly came to his mind for the main leads.

“Both are brilliant actors apart from being stars. Vidya has that certain kind of sensibility that was needed for her character. She is very sensitive not only as an actor but as a human being,” he said.

“Rani’s character required to have a lot of spunk and a headstrong and feisty attitude. I knew Rani will be able to do justice with that,” he added.

The film, slated to release Jan 7, is based on the murder of model Jessica Lall in 1999 by Manu Sharma, son of a Haryana politician, and the struggle of her sister Sabrina Lall to get justice for her.

It took the director, who has assisted filmmaker Anurag Kashyap in the past, three months to research about the case and seven months to write the script.

“I took up this subject as I thought it was a very inspiring story where in the course of events an entire nation came together and media played a very important role. I thought this would be an interesting story to portray on celluloid,” Gupta said.

However, his road to making this film was not without obstacles. The filmmaker said it was very challenging to give shape to the project.

“At every stage, there were challenges. The writing was the most difficult bit because the canvas was broad, there were so many characters and I didn’t want to make a documentary or a biography,” Gupta said.

“I wanted to get into the realms of cinema and make it an engaging and entertaining thriller. To get that entire thing in place, it took me some time to figure out and see how to go about it,” he said.

“I had to get a balance of fact and fiction because it was a very sensitive issue. So the script also had to be approached with a lot of sensitivity,” he added.

But wasn’t he scared that the movie might rake up many controversies because of the nature of the subject?

“This factor did come to my mind. So I tried to approach the film with as much sensitivity as possible,” the director said.

“But we must also keep in mind that the film is not about naming people or accusing anyone. That’s not my job as a filmmaker. It’s just my interpretation of the case,” he added.

After two serious drama films, Gupta is all set to make a light love story called Rapchik Romance, which is on the scripting stage at the moment.

By Jilawatan

Mahie Gill, who will be in town to play the love interest of Naseeruddin Shah in Ribhu Dasgupta’s Michael, tells TOI that she shouldn’t be compared to Ishqiya’s Vidya Balan

You’ve been paired opposite Naseeruddin Shah in Michael…
He is a great actor and one of my favourites. Right from Masoom to A Wednesday!, I’ve been following all his movies. Amazing is the word that I can use to describe him. One of the biggest compliments that I received for Dev D came from him when he said that he liked my work. I was supposed to do another film with him titled Surmaiyee Shaam. I had met him twice for that film. It was to be directed by Brahmanand Singh but the film isn’t happening anyone. Thank God, Ribhu cast me in Michael. I can even play an extra with Naseer Sir. But then, I’m nervous.

Your character shares a romantic angle with Shah. Isn’t the comparison with Ishqiya obvious?
In Michael, I play a nurse who is attached to Naseer Sir and his son. He is a widower. There is some chemistry between the two of us though it’s very subtle. I don’t think my role can be compared to that of Vidya Balan in Ishqiya.

Are Hindi films more open these days about exploring the romance between an older man and a younger woman?
Age has nothing to do with romance. I don’t know Naseer Sir’s age but I think he can deliver any role given to him. Lamhe and Black too had explored the relationship between the older man and younger woman. But yes, today, there’s a lot more interest in exploring such relationships on-screen. Films have changed, so have audiences’ acceptance level.

Besides Michael , you’ve also done Dabangg. Is it the same Anurag Kashyap connection that prompted you to accept the film?
I did it for Dabangg’s director, Abhinav (Anurag’s brother). He is a friend. I’ve been cast opposite Arbaaz Khan. Mine is just a two-scene role where I have to romance him.

Since you’ve been attached to films like Dev.D, Gulaal and Paan Singh Tomar, how does it feel when you do mainstream cinema?
The language and acting pattern of realistic films are different from that of commercial movies. I started off doing realistic cinema. Hence, I find it easier doing them. PST releases in August and I’m optimistic about it. I’m open to doing both kinds of movies. I want to grow as a complete actor. Both the genres have their own challenges and I’m ready to try both.

Some actors claim that doing realistic movies alone isn’t enough for survival since they need to maintain a certain lifestyle. Apart from the growth of an actor, does economical reasons also govern your choice of doing commerical movies?
Money is important. Thankfully, I am being paid well even in the kind of movies that I do. I am happy with the kind of money I am getting. These are small-budget films and I am being paid according to the budget of the movie. I am not a party-goer and hence, not a high maintenance person. I am pretty much happy with the kind of money that I’m earning.

Among the Bollywood heroines, who are your role models now?
Among the younger lot, I think Kangna, Konkona and Vidya are good actors. While Priyanka is very hardworking, Kareena has star appeal.

When do you come down to Kolkata to shoot?
I’ll be in town on July 29 or July 30. I am looking forward to my stay in Kolkata. I’ve usually come down to the city for a day and have never got time to enjoy myself. I’ve some friends in Kolkata and am looking forward to enjoying Bengali cuisine too.

By Jilawatan

You don’t associate a handloom sari with high octane glamour, unless it’s Vidya Balan who is wearing it, like she was at HT’s first Mumbai conclave on June 15!

The 32-year-old looked radiant in a pink saree with black bold border and a pink and black print blouse that had three quarter long sleeves and a deep back.

She accessorized with black peep-toe pumps with red soles, and a three bead bracelets in her right arm, with the middle one being of rudraksh beads.

Her long black middle parted hair, styled in structured curls, framed her face. She wore light makeup – pink lip color and thick black eyeliner.

Vidya Balan and Karan Johar at HT conclave in Mumbai on June 15. Photo Credit: Sawf News
She arrived at the event alone and was seated next to Karan Johar. The two posed together for the photogs and launched HT cafe as a broadsheet.

Speaking at the panel discussion during the event, Vidya Balan deliberated on the importance of the Bollywood film budgets in today’s economy. She agreed with her other Bollywood colleagues, Johar, Anurag Kashyap, R. Balki and Dibakar Banerjee, that there is no reason why small-budget films could not become commercial successes.

By Jilawatan

When Anurag Kashyap’s Paro took her mattress out for some rough and tumble in the fields, women in the audience applauded her guts, and
men cheered her spirit. Theaters also erupted with seetis when the very same Paro rejected Dev in the last few reels of the film. In the upcoming Kaminey, Priyanka and Shahid share a lip lock that carries on and on. In Love Aaj Kal, Saif and Deepika supposedly make love before they fall in love. And in Ishquiyan, Vidya Balan sleeps with an uncle (Naseeruddin Shah) and a nephew (Arshad Warsi).

Move over candy floss romances, lusty dramas and true-to-life characters are the flavour of the season. And A-list heroines are not shying away from doing `bold’ roles if the script demands it. Even the Censor Board doesn’t want to play spoilt sport. “Love is getting more physical in Hindi films,” says Vinayak Azad, regional officer of the Central Board of Film Certification. “It’s not about flowers meeting or feet entwining anymore. It is more explicit and direct. Also, bold scenes are not restricted to B-grade actresses anymore,” he adds.

Director Mahesh Bhatt has showcased female sexuality in many films. “I was accused of introducing soft porn into Bollywood when I made films like Jism and Murder. The purists were up in arms screaming from the rooftops saying that Indian cinema had was geting eroticised. Today, the writing is on the wall -our films are getting bolder because the moral references of the nation has changed drastically. Azad agrees. “The censor board is an evolving body and needs to keep abreast with the pulse of the public. We are definitely getting lenient with filmmakers.

Director Imtiaz Ali’s Love Aaj Kal deals with love in two eras. Ali agrees that love has undergone a metamorphosis today and has become more blatant. “In Rang De Basant, when Soha’s character proposes to Madhavan, it was beautiful. In my film, the lead characters in my film hang out together for six months, get physical and don’t even realise they are a couple till somebody points it out.”

Vidya Balan, who has a raunchy love scene with Arshad Warsi in an upcoming film, feels the women of today are no longer apologetic about their sexuality. “Women in films are are a reflection of women in real life. They know what they want and I’m glad Indian cinema has begun to offer women varied roles.” Imtiaz Ali also believes today’ actresses are willing to experiment with roles on screen. “Unlike a Madhubala or Nargis, who were concerned if their knees were visible, today’s actress doesn’t think twice before doing a hot scene if the script demands it.”