By Jilawatan

Vidya Balan, who will be seen sharing the same frame with actor Arshad Warsi in upcoming film “Ishqiya”, says her co-star hasn’t got his due in Bollywood and is underutilised as an actor.

“Arshad is a brilliant actor. He is very versatile. I feel he is underutilised in our cinema. I think he can be one of those European actors who can play any role with as much ease. He is wonderful and I share a great camaraderie with him. He is really yet to get his due,” the actress told IANS.

Set in eastern Uttar Pradesh, “Ishqiya” is a tale of romance between individuals caught in a web of crime, suspense, passion and deceit. Directed by debutant Abhishek Chaubey,

By Jilawatan

Vidya Balan is glowing with the compliments pouring in for her superlative performance in R Balki’s Paa.

She may be a foot shorter than both her Bachchan co-stars, but when it came to the histrionics, she matched Amitabh and Abhishek perfectly.

Now she’s channelising her energies into Ketan Maroo’s Ishqiya where once again she is it pitted with two versatile talents Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi.

Talking about her sensuous role in this robust, earthy, love triangle, the diminutive actress says, “I play a village belle.

Yet I’m fully aware of my sexual charms and within the four walls of the bedroom, I’m unapologetic about using my guile and charm.

Vidya says quality work like Paa and now Ishqiya has made her realise that if she is patient, the right roles are bound to come her way. “Once again I have as many advantages as I had when I did Parineeta,’’ says the actress. “My filmmakers have realised that given an opportunity, I will not let them down.’’

The coming year is an important year for Vidya. She starts the year with Ishqiya and then moves onto Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Chenab Gandhi. “The decision to do fewer films is entirely mine,’’ says the actress who is now super-confident that when it comes to her career, she will not make one false move.

On the personal front, it is rumoured that almost all her heroes be it John Abraham (Salaam-e-Ishq), Shahid Kapoor (Kismat Konnection) and now Arshad Warsi (Ishqiya) are attracted to her. “Rubbish,’’ she flails her hands and says.

“In fact, I think none of my heroes even treat me like a lady. I’m treated like one of the boys. My heroes back-slap me and we share a few laughs and jokes. However, I don’t think any of them is attracted to me. If they were, I would have noticed.’’

Well, well…so even as the rumour mills continue to buzz about Vidya past romances with John and Shahid, the actress herself has rubbed her slate clean… and is looking forward to her knight in shining armour putting in an appearance in 2010. What should one say — Halleluah!

By Jilawatan

Vishal Bharadwaj is in trouble with his latest venture Ishqiya. This is not the first time that he having troubles with the Censor Board. He has undergone the same for Omkara and Kaminey earlier.

Ishqiya has a strong storyline and has a brilliant cast consisting of Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi. The Censor Board this time has raised a concern over the language of the film. They made it amply clear about some compromise with the language has to be made in order to get a ‘U/A’ certificate!

In fact some according to a source “The promos had a line that ‘Naadi tale H**** aur Peepal tale P****” which was changed to “Naadi tale Khayenge aur peepal tale piyenge.” The same source also said “Now Shemaroo (the producers) and the cast and crew of the film have got together to make some changes to the promo so that it gets a ‘U/A’ certificate.”

The film is about two men who are on a run. They fall for the same woman who happens to be a widow. The director of this movie is Abhishek Chaubey who has assisted Vishal Bharadwaj for all these years. The movie Ishqiya is scheduled to be released early next year and has already ripples across. Hope all this publicity rules in its favor.

By Jilawatan

Vidya Balan is very excited about her film Ishqiya where she plays the solo female lead being romanced by not one, but two men — the
Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi. Of course Naseer is known to be extremely temperamental. And many of his co-stars have borne the brunt of his sarcastic quips.

So it didn’t come as too much of a shock when news filtered in that during a serious scene being shot in Wai; Naseer lost his cool at Vidya. Sources from the set say that Vidya laughed in the middle of a serious shot leaving Naseer red-faced. And, hence he lost his cool and ticked her off. When asked if something like this had happened, Vidya, the true sport that she is said, “On the contrary I think I got Naseer saab laughing on this set. I’m told it is hard to get him to laugh on a set, unless he is shooting for a comedy.”

Vidya added, “I adore Naseeruddin Shah. He is one of the first actors I came in contact with because I had called his daughter at some point and he had picked up the phone. I almost dropped the receiver with excitement.”

Recounting what happened in Wai, the talented actress says, “I do have a habit of bursting into laughter right in the middle of a shot. Especially when I am working with Arshad. We have a rapport going since Lage Raho Munnabhai. And on that particular day the scene had Arshad, Naseer saab, another actor and me. Now it so happened that Arshad was trying to make me laugh…and I actually held up because I knew the shot would be ruined if I burst out. I was digging my nail into my palms to control my laughter. The scene was canned. But after it was over, Arshad and Naseer saab saw something funny that I cannot speak about, laughed their heads off.”

Vidya continues, “So it isn’t me who got Naseer saab angry. On the contrary I got him laughing.” Well, well one can believe Vidya. Her charms are hard for anyone to resist.

By Jilawatan

We remember Vidya Balan as the Parineeta girl. The model turned actress hails from Kerala itself. Vidya says that she has plans to do Malayalam films in 2010. The actress has lots of offers pouring into her. She hope to do at least one film next year.

Vidya Balan has recently done her first ever negative role in the film Ishqiya starring Arshad Warsi and Nazeeruddin Shah. She said that she was very much excited to do her mother role in Paa. She played the mother of Big B and wife of Abhishek Bachchan in Paa which has now gone for international.

By Jilawatan

Vidya Balan is back in the reckoning in a big way. Her single mother act notwithstanding in her last release PAA, she is now all set to play the role of a scheming seductress in ISHQIYA, something that should mark a complete antithesis of Vidya’s on-screen image.

Seen with actors as diverse as Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi, Vidya has managed to ignite quite some heat on screen without an inch of skin show. No wonder, one believes that she must indeed be happy that the entire perception about her ‘holier than thou’ persona has gone for a complete six in this Vishal Bharadwaj production.

“I think I have been fortunate enough to have worked on the kind of films which have quenched my thirst as an actor”, smiles Vidya, “ISHQIYA too is one such film which has given me new challenges. Every day is a new day and God has been really kind to me all these years. I really hope that ISHQIYA works as well so that I can continue to make good decisions.”

With the film promising an author backed role for her, one waits to see if Vidya gets a further one up over PAA and PARINEETA in weeks to come. Directed by debutant Abhishek Chaubhey, ISHQIYA is eyeing a 29th January release.

By Jilawatan

After playing an ideal mother in “Paa”, Vidya Balan says she is ready to surprise audiences with a completely different avatar in forthcoming movie “Ishqiya”. She will be seen as a conniving, scheming woman in Vishal Bharadwaj’s dark drama.

“For the first time I’ll be playing a woman who is conniving, scheming and in whom there is a sexual aggression,” Vidya told IANS in an interview.

“She is an aggressive person. She is someone who is unapologetic about her own choices. Bold is the word I’ll use for the lack of a better word. In the Indian context, she would be Rambha, Durga or Kali. She is someone who is dressed from top to toe but oozes sensuality,” the actress said.

Set in eastern Uttar Pradesh, “Ishqiya” is a tale of romance between individuals caught in a web of crime, suspense, passion and deceit. Made by first time director Abhishek Chaubey and produced by Bharadwaj, the film also stars Arshad Warsi and Naseeruddin Shah in pivotal roles.

In the film, Vidya sports a deglamourised look and mouths expletives.

Asked if Bharadwaj was the reason she signed “Ishqiya”, she said: “It’s always very reassuring when the producer is an established guy because when you take a film, you want to know that no compromises will be made while making the film and even after it gets released.

“Of course Vishal comes with a certain brand and credibility…but more importantly I loved the role offered to me. I wouldn’t have given it up. Along with that I loved Abhishek’s passion and sensibility. So it was a combination of all these things when I made my decision.”

The 31-year-old is also looking forward to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Chenaab Gandhi” in which she plays Amitabh Bachchan’s daughter.

After receiving flak for doing glamorous roles, Vidya has moved to author-backed characters in “Paa”, “Chenaab Gandhi” and “Ishqiya”. But she says her choice of roles is not a conscious effort to change her image.

“It’s not a conscious decision to try and stay away from a particular kind of roles. There is no effort for an image change. It’s just that I’m just being offered a lot of exciting work and I’ve tried to pick and choose different things to keep it very exciting for me,” she said.

“Of course, candyfloss is still welcome if it comes with substance, but the very fact that it’s candyfloss takes away the substance. So I don’t do that much candyfloss because it compromises on substance,” added the actress.

Vidya has earlier been seen in films like “Parineeta”, “Heyy Babyy”, “Bhool Bhulaiyaa” and “Kismat Konnection”.

By Jilawatan

After playing a single mother to 67-year-old Amitabh Bachchan in ‘Paa’, Vidya Balan is set to scorch the big screen as the scheming seductress in Vishal Bhardwaj’s ‘Ishqiya’ which the actress believes is the most challenging role of her career.

Vidya will be seen with actors Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi in the film. Directed by debutant Abhishek Chaubhey, ‘Ishqiya’ is eyeing a January 29 release.

With her character of a scheming seductress igniting quite some heat within the industry circles way before the release, she must indeed be happy that the entire perception about her ‘holier than thou’ persona goes for a six in Bharadwaj production?

“I think I have been fortunate enough to have worked on the kind of films which have quenched my thirst as an actor.

By Jilawatan

Vidya Balan, who is considered to be the most down-to-earth and tantrum free actress refused to shoot for one of the songs of her upcoming film ISHQIYA since she felt it was too raunchy for her.

It’s learnt that Vidya Balan was supposed to shake a leg with her leading men Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi in the film. The song is the remake of the popular number from the ’7o’s film KITAAB. But, when Vidya found the song to be too raunchy she refused to go ahead with the shoot.

Though, Vidya was not rude in refusing to shoot for the song, instead she politely told her makers that it would be difficult for her to do such an act which the producers accepted with grace.

In ISHQIYA Vidya Balan has shed her homely avataar and revealed her bolder side to the audiences for the first time. The actress will surprise you when you will hear her utter cuss words many times in the film.

By Jilawatan

If you thought that Vidya Balan has become “shameless in front of the camera”, as she recently admitted in a TV interview, after hearing her bold dialogue in Paa and the expletives she has used in Ishqiya (as is evident in the promos), this one is for you. She might be open to experimental roles but Vidya is still at times very much the girl-nextdoor in her heart.

Recently, Vidya refused to shake a leg to a raunchy number, a remake of the popular song Dhano ki aankhon mein… from the 1977 film Kitaab, in Ishqiya. Producer Vishal Bhardwaj wanted Vidya to feature in the song with Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi, but he finally ended up shooting the song with only the two heroes and no girl in it.

A source from the sets of Ishqiya says, “One thought that Vidya would do the song readily. She has already shot a sizzling lip kiss with Arshad in the film and has said the word ch***** without any inhibitions.”

Though Vidya wasn’t rude while turning down Vishal’s offer to do the song she managed to put across her message quite effectively. “She was polite. It’s just that she felt that the song was too bawdy,” adds our source.

Naturally, Vidya was worried about Vishal and director Abhishek Chaubey’s reaction. Fortunately for her, both of them took her refusal quite sportingly. Despite repeated efforts, Vidya Balan remained unavailable for comment.