By Jilawatan

She was hailed as the next big thing when she made her debut two years ago in Pradeep Sarkar’s Parineeta. But now everyone is questioning Vidya Balan’s career decisions. Critisised for her itsy-bitsy role in Eklavya, her unflattering wardrobe in Heyy Babyy and her refusal to promote Mani Ratnam’s Guru, Vidya Balan seems to be courting controversy with every step she takes.
Rajeev Masand: You are just back from a long two-month outdoor in Toronto shooting for Aziz Mirza’s Lucky Charm . What was the experience like, being away for so long?
Vidya Balan: Yes, this has been my longest outdoor. Toronto is a beautiful place and it was my first trip there. We were at a very pretty location downtown. We were actually on Lake Ontario so it was beautiful. I love Aziz Mirza. He spreads so much positivity and cheer that rubs off on everyone. Otherwise what can happen on such a long shoot is that you just get on each other’s nerves. But I don’t think any of that happened. We really had a nice time.
Rajeev Masand: With you being away for two months, you didn’t really get to savour the success of you film Heyy Babyy.
Vidya Balan: Yes, I have just come in though I know it has done really well because I have been in touch with Sajid (Khan) and a couple of other people from the team. I have not been here to enjoy the success but that has also saved me a lot of flak. So maybe there’s a reason for everything.
Rajeev Masand: The flak was not really directed towards your performance as much as it was directed towards your wardrobe.
Vidya Balan: That’s some respite at least. For the wardrobe, I would like to take as much responsibility as Manish (Malhotra) because I think I was a little blasé about the clothes and the look. I tried to be different but I have learnt that you don’t have to look different for the sake of being different. Manish and I should have been more careful because it is the first time I have sported a western look. It would unfair to say that Manish gave me bad clothes because I can also look into the mirror and see what works and what doesn’t. But I didn’t bother too much so both of us should be splitting the flak.
Rajeev Masand: Your film Bhool Bhulaiyya is releasing on the same day as Laaga Chunari Mein Daag. You were offered a role in Laaga … first but you could not do it for whatever reasons. So do you that find it ironic or poetic?
Vidya Balan: Poetic, yes. Like I have said before, I never imagined not being part of Dada’s (Pradeep Sarkar) film. I just got to know a week ago that it’s releasing on the same day. I was amazed. It’s great.
Rajeev Masand: You must feel tricky because you can’t want the other film to not do well.
Vidya Balan: I don’t want anyone’s film to not do well. I’m not trying to sound holier-than-thou but I know what goes into making a film and I think there are enough people to be watching all kinds of films.
Rajeev Masand: You must have heard that your film Eklavya has a bit of a controversy surrounding it regarding it being sent for the Oscars. What’s you view on this?
Vidya Balan: I wouldn’t like to say much about it because at the moment the matter is sub judice. As an actor, it just feels good that one of my films was selected. Last year, Lage Raho Munnabhai was sent as an independent entry. I enjoyed working on Eklavya. Vidhu Vinod Chopra is someone who I had wanted to work with ever since I had seen Parinda. I remember in a little black book I had a list of directors I wanted to work with and his name was in one of the first pages.
Rajeev Masand: Tell us a little more about this little black book. So how many names have you struck off it already?
Vidya Balan: I’m a very greedy person. I have worked with Mani Ratnam but I want to work with him on a full-fledged role. There’s Vidhu Vinod Chopra who I again want to work with. Strangely, I had watched Dada’s music videos and I had told myself I want to work with him. He stopped doing music videos. Finally when he did one after two and a half years I was actually in it. So divine intervention, I guess. There’s Rajkumar Santoshi and Nikhil Advani who I have worked with also.
Rajeev Masand: So that’s a good record.
Vidya Balan: Yes, but there’s a long, long, long way to go.
Rajeev Masand: Best of luck. Let’s hope we see a lot of different roles and films from you. Thank you for talking to us.

By Jilawatan

She’s had a steady run, though she’s not made the superstar grade. Beginning with “Parineeta” (2005), she’s made an impact with both “Lage Raho Munnabhai” (2006) and “Bhool Bhulaiya” (2007) and has in her bag films as assorted as “Eklavya,” “Salaam-e-Ishq,” “Halla Bol,” “Guru,” “Heyy Babyy” and “Kismat Konnection.” Today, Vidya Balan has what can be considered “twin towers” on hand in terms of meaty roles — “Paa,” releasing Dec. 4, and “Ishqiya” in the following week.

The South Indian, Mumbai-born-and-raised damsel has not changed a whit since her first film and flush of success — a sure sign of impeccable values and innate confidence that only true talents demonstrate, in contrast to the merely successful or media-hyped Johnnies and Joannas. As cordial and warm on the phone as she was when we first met at her parents’ apartment in suburban Chembur over three years ago, Vidya Balan tells India-West that she is all set for a very fruitful phase in her career.

E xcerpts from an interview:

Q: How was the whole process of getting “Paa,” your reaction to playing Abhishek Bachchan’s wife after a non-romantic pairing in “Guru,” and playing Amitabh Bachchan’s mother after having a just a few scenes with him in “Eklavya”?

A: All I can say is that it is truly an honor, and that in my wildest dreams I could never have imagined getting a role where I would be in such a close relationship on-screen with both of them simultaneously.

To be honest, I deliberated a bit, not because I had to play Amit-ji’s mother — since he plays a 13-year-old — but because of the mother aspect itself at my age. I have not developed a maternal instinct, and so it took me a while. It’s another story that my gut feeling as an actor was to take up the challenge, and I realized that it was the opportunity of a lifetime, a beautiful, heartwarming story with a fantastic, unique role for me.

Q: And so you finally signed on?

A: Yes, but I must say that the final clincher was Balki’s [director R. Balakrishnan] complete conviction. He never had the slightest doubt or hesitation that he wanted me, and he had complete confidence in his story and casting. All I asked for was some joint readings of the script with Mr. Bachchan, so that I do not have any inhibitions while playing his mother. I kept getting apprehensive since it did not happen all the way till two days before the shoot was to begin.

Then Balki called and asked me to come for Mr. Bachchan’s look test with the prostheses and make-up, and said that we would do the reading right after that. To my utter and incredible surprise, when Mr. Bachchan came out with his make-up on, all my fears were quelled. His look and his voice, mannerisms and body language were so amazing that I could easily imagine playing mother to this boy!

When working with Mr. Mohanlal from the South, we had once discussed acting, and he had told me that even if an actor had read the script many times, when the director shouts “Action!” he invokes divine energy from above just for two seconds. For me, that moment when Mr. Bachchan entered was like that divine moment.

Q: We sidetracked the Abhishek experience.

A: I think that the nicest thing about Abhishek Bachchan is that he is an honest actor. I think that gives him the massive advantage of suiting any kind of role or genre, and two, he also becomes a very exciting co-actor.

Q: Explain the co-actor part, please.

A: Abhishek is spontaneous, he does not plan his moves or prepare on his character. He is not into rehearsals, so you don’t know what he going to do when the camera rolls. And that not only keeps you sharp but also results in a very satisfying give-and-take.

Q: What about working with Balki?

A: That man spells conviction and confidence all the way! And I have never seen anyone better at multi-tasking! He would be chatting away on the phone and I would deliberately go and interrupt him to ask something about a scene just to irritate. But he would answer my question completely and return to the phone without losing his cool — or thread of conversation! And for a man who is the chairman of one of the biggest firms in advertising, he’s so simple and incredibly humble!

Q: After doing an issue-based film like “Paa,” will your parameters for doing films change?

A: Firstly, “Paa” isn’t issue-based, it is relationship-based. Progeria is just the backdrop. The film is touching and I am sure you will come out of the film smiling but with your eyes moist. And to answer your question, my choice of films has remained pretty much the same all the while, but now I think that there is better writing happening for the women. We have films written with specific actresses in mind, and Balki told me that he had written “Paa” too with specifically me in mind.

Q: And “Ishqiya” follows just a week after “Paa,” so it’s the lull before the Vidya Balan storm; your last, “Kismat Konnection,” was in mid-2008.

A: Film releases cannot really be planned — “Paa” was one of the fastest-shot films, while “Ishqiya” was delayed. “Paa” and “Ishqiya,” if I may say so, are among the kind of films that I always wanted to do. I am out of my comfort zone again in “Ishqiya,” playing the bad girl. Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi are my co-stars.

Q: Today, there is a lot of experimentation happening in cinema. But ideas dominate rather than scripts and there is a very low average of both good films and successful ones.

A: True. We are in a state of flux. But ultimately, only good will come out of this process

By Jilawatan

The Bachchans family has found a new fan in form of Bollywood actress Vidya Balan. Now a days Vidya Balan could be seen singing praises for superstar Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Actually the actress is all set to share the silver screen with Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan. She is doing a film ‘Pa’ with Big B and Junior B.

So, the praise comes naturally. The actress believes that duo might add a hit film in her kitty.

‘Pa’ is being directed by R Balki. However, Vidya worked with Amitabh in ‘Eklavya’