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 receiving flak from critics, Vidya Balan has now managed to impress them with her performance in “Paa”. The actress is now looking forward to “Ishqiya” and “Chenaab Gandhi” to strengthen her position and says she won’t do roles she doesn’t identify with.

“Isn’t that amazing? It’s taken a lot of getting used to. But I feel blessed. I’m done with trying to be someone I’m not,” Vidya, who will be seen as Amitabh Bachchan’s daughter in “Chenaab Gandhi”, told IANS.

“I went through a period of tremendous turmoil when I was struggling to do roles that didn’t come naturally to me. But now in hindsight I think that confusion helped me pick ‘Paa’, ‘Ishqiya’ and ‘Chenaab Gandhi’. It’s gratifying to know today directors think of me for specific roles and not just as one of many choices.”

Vidya became an overnight sensation after her debut film “Parineeta” (2005), but later earned flak for her clothes in “Heyy Babyy” and for doing a film like “Kismat Konnection”.

Thanks to director R. Balakrishnan’s “Paa”, in which she plays a single mother whose son suffers from progeria, a disease that accelerates the ageing process, she has regained past glory.

Though she played a perfect mother in “Heyy Babyy” and “Paa”, Vidya can’t get along with kids in real life.

“If I hold a baby for a while I get stressed. In ‘Heyy Babyy’, the baby would bawl every time I had to carry it. In ‘Paa’, I had to mother a man who was far older. It took a lot of getting used to. The fact that Mr. Bachchan kept referring to me as ‘Maa’ as soon he entered the sets, sure helped,” she said.

A lot is being said about her aesthetic clothes in “Paa”.

“All thanks to Sabyasachi Mukherjee I think he understood my body language and my personality perfectly. And he dressed me up beautifully without overstepping the parameters of my character.” (IANS)

By Jilawatan

After receiving flak from critics, Vidya Balan has now managed to impress them with her performance in Paa. The actress is now looking forward to Ishqiya and Chenaab Gandhi to strengthen her position and says she won’t do roles she doesn’t identify with.

“Isn’t that amazing? It’s taken a lot of getting used to. But I feel blessed. I’m done with trying to be someone I’m not,” Vidya, who will be seen as Amitabh Bachchan’s daughter in Chenaab Gandhi, told IANS.

“I went through a period of tremendous turmoil when I was struggling to do roles that didn’t come naturally to me. But now in hindsight I think that confusion helped me pick Paa, Ishqiya and Chenaab Gandhi. It’s gratifying to know today directors think of me for specific roles and not just as one of many choices.”

Vidya became an overnight sensation after her debut film Parineeta (2005), but later earned flak for her clothes in Heyy Babyy and for doing a film like Kismat Konnection.

Thanks to director R. Balakrishnan’s Paa, in which she plays a single mother whose son suffers from progeria, a disease that accelerates the ageing process, she has regained past glory.

Though she played a perfect mother in Heyy Babyy and Paa, Vidya can’t get along with kids in real life.

“If I hold a baby for a while I get stressed. In Heyy Babyy, the baby would bawl every time I had to carry it. In Paa, I had to mother a man who was far older. It took a lot of getting used to. The fact that Mr. Bachchan kept referring to me as ‘Maa’ as soon he entered the sets, sure helped,” she said.

A lot is being said about her aesthetic clothes in Paa.

“All thanks to Sabyasachi Mukherjee I think he understood my body language and my personality perfectly. And he dressed me up beautifully without overstepping the parameters of my character.”

By Jilawatan

If Abhishek Bachchan has carried his dad playing the progeric Auro piggyback in Paa, Vidya Balan had to carry another actor playing the same character’s younger version. The problem was, the physically-challenged 3-foot actor was almost the same weight as Vidya. She tripped and fell while doing the scene.

His name is Little Kiran. But he’s anything but little age-wise. Though height-challenged 3-feet nothing, Little Kiran who has played parts in a number of Hollywood films including segments of Narnia, The Lord Of The Rings and Star Trek was brought to Mumbai to play Vidya Balan’s progeric son at a younger age than the Big B.

It was when the shooting started that the director Balki suggested she carry him piggyback, the way Abhishek carries the older Auro later in the film. Says Vidya, “At first the idea of carrying a 53-year old man who happened to be a very warm and talented Gujarati artiste from London was very discouraging. But when you’re doing a film that you know somewhere is creating an unprecedented world, you tend to get defiant as an actor.”

Vidya recklessly agreed to carry a man who was older than her and almost the same weight. In doing so she tripped and fell and suffered an acute back-ache for a long time. Says Vidya, “It’s a passing shot. But I don’t think any actress in the world has done it. Carried a 53-year old man playing her son. But then which other actress my age gets to play Mr Bachchan’s mother?” Vidya says she might have hesitated in playing a mom if it was to a real child. “But with Mr Bachchan it was a straight yes.”

The effort has paid off. On Saturday night Vidya’s family saw Paa for the first time along with the Bachchans. “And my sister Priya howled all through. To her I’ll always be the little baby of the family and she the protective Didi. She couldn’t believe the trauma of a mother that I was projecting in Paa.”

Be shocked if you like, but Vidya with all her nurturing personality can’t get along with kids in real life. “If I hold a baby for a while I get stressed. In Heyy Babyy, the baby would bawl every time I had to carry it. In Paa I had to mother a man who was far older. It took a lot of getting used to. The fact that Mr Bachchan kept referring to me as ‘Maa’ as soon he entered the sets, sure helped.” And now Vidya goes straight into playing his daughter in Sanjay Leela Bhansali-produced Chenaab Gandhi.

“Isn’t that amazing? It takes a lot of getting used to. But I feel blessed. I’m done with trying to be someone I am not. I went through a period of tremendous turmoil when I was struggling to do roles that didn’t come naturally to me. But now in hindsight I think that confusion helped me pick Paa, Ishiqya and Chenaab Gandhi. It’s gratifying to know today directors think of me for specific roles and not just as one of many choices.”

A lot is being said about Vidya’s aesthetic clothes in Paa. “All thanks to Sabysachi Chakraborty. I think he understood my body language and my personality perfectly. And he dressed me up beautifully without overstepping the parameters of my character.”

By Jilawatan

After receiving flak from critics, Vidya Balan has now managed to impress them with her performance in “Paa”. The actress is now looking forward to “Ishqiya” and “Chenaab Gandhi” to strengthen her position and says she won’t do roles she doesn’t identify with.

“Isn’t that amazing? It’s taken a lot of getting used to. But I feel blessed. I’m done with trying to be someone I’m not,” Vidya, who will be seen as Amitabh Bachchan’s daughter in “Chenaab Gandhi”.

“I went through a period of tremendous turmoil when I was struggling to do roles that didn’t come naturally to me. But now in hindsight I think that confusion helped me pick ‘Paa’, ‘Ishqiya’ and ‘Chenaab Gandhi’. It’s gratifying to know today directors think of me for specific roles and not just as one of many choices.”

Vidya became an overnight sensation after her debut film “Parineeta” (2005), but later earned flak for her clothes in “Heyy Babyy” and for doing a film like “Kismat Konnection”.

Thanks to director R. Balakrishnan’s “Paa”, in which she plays a single mother whose son suffers from progeria, a disease that accelerates the ageing process, she has regained past glory.

Though she played a perfect mother in “Heyy Babyy” and “Paa”, Vidya can’t get along with kids in real life.

“If I hold a baby for a while I get stressed. In ‘Heyy Babyy’, the baby would bawl every time I had to carry it. In ‘Paa’, I had to mother a man who was far older. It took a lot of getting used to. The fact that Mr. Bachchan kept referring to me as ‘Maa’ as soon he entered the sets, sure helped,” she said.

A lot is being said about her aesthetic clothes in “Paa”.

“All thanks to Sabyasachi Mukherjee I think he understood my body language and my personality perfectly. And he dressed me up beautifully without overstepping the parameters of my character.”