Vidya Balan

By Jilawatan

Vidya wants to gather as much information as possible on Smitha, her life and the kind of person she was by meeting with her family and friends. Apparently, Vidya has no intention to get embroiled in any controversy post-production.

“This is Vidya’s second biographical character in a year. Just as UTV made sure that her part as Sabrina Lal in No One Killed Jessica was approved by her family, Vidya wants Silk Smitha’s family to give their go-ahead,” revealed a source close to the actress.

However, all this will have to wait as Vidya, currently, is busy shooting for Sujoy Ghosh’s ‘Kahaani’.

Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Films will be producing ‘The Dirty Picture’. The production house ended up getting into trouble after claiming that ‘OUATIM’ was a biopic on gangster Haji Mastan.

Controversial characters are tricky to portray, says Vidya
When contacted, Vidya confirmed that she indeed will be doing some heavy duty research on the life of Silk Smitha as portraying real life characters on-screen is a tricky business.

“One has to be very careful about portraying real lives on screen, especially controversial ones,” said Vidya, who allegedly want film’s producers to state in her contract that film is a biopic and is a legitimate one.

Tabloids had also been reporting that Vidya’s reluctant to do certain scenes in the film. However, when actress was asked about it, she revealed that she’s still discussing things with Balaji and it’s too early to say anything.

Speculations are rife that Rajkumar Santoshi is seriously considering casting Vidya in his next, inspired by real life events.

About Silk Smitha
Silk Smitha was born as Vijayalakshmi in a poor family in Eluru, AP, on Dec. 2, 1960.

She seemed to know her destination from very young age as she left home and studies after fourth standard and went to Madras to become film star. She become household name with her first major role in Tamil film ‘Vandi Chakkaram’ in 1979.

She did over 200 films and was famous for her bold roles. The actress dubbed as “soft porn” actress by critics, was found dead in her Chennai apartment in 1996.

By Jilawatan

After stunning people by taking up the bold role in her upcoming flick ‘Dirty Picture’, Vidya Balan has decided to go for butt pads to enhance her hips.

Reportedly, she is going to be her boldest best in the movie that is based on Southern porn star Silk Smitha, and Vidya is going to indulge in a lot of cosmetic stuffing to look like a sex symbol.

Actually, Vidya was asked to gain weight for the movie, but as she felt the losing process post the film will be a hard process and so she has decided to go for artificial body enhancements.

“While, the buzz was that the actress would have to use prosthetics to increase her bust line for part of the film (the very part for which she had to gain a few extra kilos), now the news is that some bulk would be required for the hips as well,” reported TOI.

Vidya Balan in a voluptuous avatar
Vidya Balan is known for her girl next door image in movies like ‘Kismat Konnection’ and ‘Parineeta’, and she said that getting a chance to portray such a bold character was quite exciting for her.

So much so that even the producer of the film Ekta Kapoor has worked hard with A D Shahana and Vikram dada, on giving Vidya a voluptuous look.

“While Vidya after shedding her kilos and the ‘plump’ tag is probably in no mood to gain extra adipose, since the shoot starts May 30, the filmmaker had to resort to desperate measures,” an insider informed TOI.

The party instinct in Vidya
For all who thought that Vidya was conservative and shy, this will be startling, but as for the actress, she is partying with her friends and co-stars.

“Recently, when Ishqiya won four national awards, Vidya was so elated that she invited the entire team for a get-together. Though she did not win an award herself, she thought it was a great idea to celebrate with the team which has made such a great film,” said a source.

And well, she also makes sure to turn up at every party that she is invited to.

By Jilawatan

Bollywood’s curvy lass Vidya Balan is learning Salsa, the sensuous Latin American dance form, for her upcoming film Dirty Picture, which is based on the life of Silk Smitha, yesteryear sex bomb of Tamil cinema.
According to buzz, Vidya is shooting for the movie and learning the sexy moves as well. She feels that Salsa will help her get Silk Smitha’s languid body language for the role. The Ekta Kapoor-produced film is being directed by Milan Luthria and stars Naseeruddin Shah, Emraan Hashmi and Tusshar Kapoor.

Vidya is surely going to set the screen on fire with Dirty Picture!

By Jilawatan

Come August and Hyderabad will be the destination of one of the most controversial and ‘dirty’ movie shootings of the year.

Major portions of “Dirty Picture,” a film loosely based on Southern siren, Silk Smitha’s life will be shot in Film City and Jubilee Hills area. Hyderabad Times caught up with director Milan Luthria of “Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai” fame, who was on a location scout in the city. “It’s natural that we shoot portions of the film here in Hyderabad, to capture the flavor of the South,” says the director.

Controversies galore: Silk Smitha’s life on celluloid could ruffle a lot of feathers, considering she was involved with bigwigs from Tollywood. “We are not making the film for controversies. Our movie explores how she became one of the most powerful women at a time when men ruled the roost,” explains Milan. Earlier, Silk Smitha’s boyfriend and filmmaker, Vinu Chakravarthy, lashed out at producer Ekta Kapoor for not taking his consent before making the film. “It’s ridiculous. We are just using her as a parameter to make a film on women of that era,” says Milan. The choice of Vidya Balan to play Smitha on screen too was criticized by Vinu. “Vidya is a fine actress. She has an innocent face, yet there is this underlining sexuality about her that no one else has. It fits the role. She was sexuality personified in her sarees in “Ishqiya,” he reasons.

The men in her life: With Nasseruddin Shah, Tushar Kapoor and Emraan Hashmi playing the three men in Vidya’s on screen life, one can’t help but probe who in particular are the characters based on. “No one as such. Our writer Rajat has written the characters in such a way that it does not represent anyone living or dead,” treads the director carefully. But with a movie based on a Southern siren’s life, how come none of the actors from the South are involved in the project? “Well, it was a conscious decision. If one actor brings in the Southern accent, then we would have to take all the actors from here itself,” says the director, who is now gearing up to shoot with Akshay Kumar for the sequel of last year’s hit, “Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai.”

“We wanted to take the story forward to the time when Shoaib already became a dreaded don. We decided to replace Emraan with Akshay, as the latter’s seriousness and larger-than-life persona on screen suits the character,” says the director.

Friends in the city: Milan has many Tollywood connections. “I assisted Mahesh Bhatt during “Criminal” and I’ve been friends with Nagarjuna since. Same with Chiranjeevi, who did “Gentleman.” How come he never cast them in his movies? “By the time I started making movies, they stopped doing Hindi films. But I’ve heard good things about their sons, Naga Chaitanya and Ram Charan Tej. The next time I’m in town, I’ll drop in and say hi to my old friends,” says Milan.

By Jilawatan

Bollywood Gossip: Vidya Balan will represent Indian sensuality at its best in ‘A Dirty Picture’ where she will revive the sex-appeal of Silk Smitha.

Vidya Balan’s role in director Milan Luthria’s film ‘Dirty Picture’ gets dirtier. This is going to be the boldest flick she has ever done and will get the boldest makeover she could ever imagine.

Vidya Balan will be seen in various sexy outfits like hot pants, low necklines, translucent tube tops and petticoats. This is just a trailer. Vidya also has to put on weight to look chubby and curvier for the latter part of her role. She will be required to bare her mid-riff, thighs and cleavage.

As per reports, Vidya Balan has told the director that all her outfits need to reach at least 30 days before she starts shooting, so that she can try and get comfortable in them. Ekta Kapoor’s production Dirty Picture will recreate the the magic that was created by Silk Smitha, the voluptuous South siren in the 80s and 90s.

Director Milan Luthria was not surprised by Vidya’s demand. He states very clearly that Vidya needs to get a lot bolder in expressing her sexuality in the role.

By Jilawatan

Vidya Balan doesn’t want to take chances with The Dirty Picture. Director Milan Luthria created a separate space in his office to help Naseeruddin Shah and her prepare for their characters and rehearse their scenes together.

News is that the area has been kept out-of-bounds for everyone on Vidya’s behest. Luthria admits, “She told me she isn’t comfortable with people walking in and out of the place, and couldn’t concentrate on her work. She asked if I could keep the space out-of-bounds for others, and I agreed.”

The rehearsals have been on for three weeks now and will continue for at least two more. The special room’s door has a ‘Do Not Disturb’ tag too with an attendant from Luthria’s production team guarding it. “No one is allowed inside it. Sometimes, I peep into the room, but generally avoid going in since they get paranoid,” says the director.

Vidya and Naseer have been working to get comfortable with each other, especially for their intimate scenes. They are also checking out their make-up, hairdos and costumes, and going through details of their photo shoots and prosthetics. “We’re not sure if we’ll eventually use prosthetics in the film. They are also trying South Indian-styled choreography. I can just tell you it won’t be a spoof,” says Luthria.

Vidya is also ‘a bit anxious’ about getting into the glamorous Silk Smitha’s shoes in the film produced by Ekta Kapoor. Apparently, the costumes, comprising hot pants, low necks and petticoats, freaked her out.
Eventually, she’s taken a couple of sets of clothes from the film’s wardrobe home to get comfortable. Luthria is all praises: “Vidya is positive about it. She heavily relies on her directors to guide her through her characters, which helps the project a lot.”

By Jilawatan

While Vidya Balan definitely knew that she had to go extra glam to play Silk Smitha in Milan Luthria’s Dirty Picture produced by Ekta Kapoor, Balan sort of freaked out when she saw the sketches of what she needs to wear for the portrayal.

Hot pants, low necks and petticoats (without the saree that Vidya is so fond of) got a bit too hot to handle for the lady. Also, she would have to wear these outrageous outfits after she gains some extra kilos on her thighs and other areas that the role requires, which left the actress gob smacked.

A little shaken with the initial sketches, Vidya Balan has told Luthria that all her outfits need to reach at least 30 days before she starts shooting, so that she can try and get comfortable in them.

Fashion designer Niharika Khan, who is in charge of Vidya’s outfits in Dirty Picture, has pulled out all stops to comply with Balan’s order.

The designer confirmed, “I am working as fast a I can. There is bound to be a lot of skin show where her legs and stomach will be bare.

The role has a graph where initially she will be wearing her usual clothes, later she becomes a star and then the downfall. So it’s an array of costumes I am preparing covering all three phases.”

When asked about Sabyasachi not designing for Vidya in the film, she added, “Well, Milan wanted me in the film. So, I can’t comment on that.”

Confirming this, Ekta said, “Well, there are two sizes that Vidya will be seen in. One is the thinner one, the other one is where she will have to put on weight.”

When contacted, Luthria said, “Vidya Balan needs to get bolder in her performance and physicality. Bolder in body and in mind.

This is not kid stuff we are doing. My film takes a naked look at all we’ve been whispering about.”

“When Vidya asked me for the clothes, earlier than usual, I really wasn’t surprised. My job is to ease her into the character. And this is just step one,” added Luthria.

By Jilawatan

Vidya Balan has not agreed to expose for a painting for acclaimed artist M.F. Hussain, says a close friend of the actress.

“The story is fabricated to damage her reputation and it hasn’t gone down well with the actress who has always maintained a dignified stance both in her personal and professional life,” said the friend.
Hussain finds Vidya’s persona especially her face very sensual and cultured and a newspaper reported that she will bare all for his painting.

But Vidya, who will feature in Ekta Kapoor’s “Dirty Pictures”, has always maintained she would take up projects only with an aesthetic sense.

“The news is absolutely hysterical. We are in the month of February and not April. Vidya has always maintained a dignified image and is one of the most respected stars in the industry. The reports are fabricated by parties with vested interests and if ever Vidya does decide to get a painting done, it will strictly be her face. Hope this puts an end to the speculation,” said the friend.

By Jilawatan

As Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai sequel will roll soon, the hunt for the leading lady of the film, which stars Akshay Kumar in lead, is on. Top contenders likely to bag the role are Kareena Kapoor and Vidya Balan!

The sequel will show Akshay as a matured Dawood, the role essayed by Emraan Hashmi in the first part. As Dawood was allegedly linked with Mandakini, the makers are having trouble in finding the right actress to play her part in the film opposite Akki. It’s reported that Mandakini’s character needs a strong actress who can emote well on celluloid.

Now the speculations are rife that either Kareena or Vidya can be approached for the role. As per sources, Ekta Kapoor, the head of Balaji Motion Pictures, wants a top actress to play the lead. The production house is already working with Vidya in Dirty Picture and Kareena is quite close to Ekta and her brother Tusshar Kapoor.

By Jilawatan

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan is all set to play lead in Ekta Kapoor’s upcoming venture ‘Ragini MMS’, which is based on the infamous MMS scandal in a prestigious Delhi based school, Zee News reported. According to a report on spicezee.com, apparently, Kangna Ranaut had been approached by Ekta Kapoor to play the lead role. “When the former showed uneasiness on hearing the explicit content of the film, Kangna Ranaut chickened out at the last minute. However, Ekta Kapoor was quick to find Kangna’s replacement in Vidya Balan,” the website reported. The report further revealed that while talking to a daily, a source confirmed the news and said, “Kangna walked out of the film, perhaps because she had developed cold feet about the movie. This is a bold movie and it needs an actress who can do justice to a strong portrayal. Vidya can deliver such intense roles with confidence. She is anyway doing ‘Dirty Picture’, based on the life of Silk Smitha, with Ekta, and her company felt that she`s appropriate for the role. So, they`ve approached her.” When contacted, the CEO of Balaji Motion Pictures, said, “I don`t want to say anything at this stage. But the film is definitely on.” After playing the power-packed role of Sabrina Lal, sister of Jessica in ‘No One Killed Jessica’ and sex-siren Silk Smitha in ‘Dirty Picture’, it seems Vidya is keen on a serious image makeover and has become a hot favourite of Bollywood filmmakers, the website reported. daily times monitor