By Jilawatan

VIDYA BALAN’S PORTRAYAL of Jessica Lall’s older sister, Sabrina, in No One Killed Jessica has been appreciated by one and all.

But it’s the producer of the film that Vidya is singing praises about. She has apparently found a very ‘close friend’ in Siddharth Roy Kapur, CEO of UTV Motion Pictures.

“They met during the film and hit it off instantly. During the making of the film, they realised that there were feelings which couldn’t be justified as ‘just friendship’. They started spending time with each other and now they are together,” says a source from UTV. But they are making every attempt to keep the relationship under wraps. “They wanted to be quiet about it as it would look like a publicity gimmick to promote the film. Now that the movie is out, they are a bit more open about each other. But not so much that they would want to announce it to the world yet,” concludes the source.

Explains Vidya’s ally, “She has burnt her fingers in the past. She actually thought that she had something special with Shahid Kapoor, only to realise that she was one of his rebound flings. And besides, Siddharth was married before – he is divorced now. So until there is something concrete, she wants to keep it discreet.”

If Vidya has fallen head over heels for the producer, the director of No One Killed Jessica is smitten by Rani Mukherji. Rajkumar Gupta has fallen for Rani so badly that he made a cameo in one of the scenes just to shout, ‘Marry me’ in the film. Apparently, he’s also thinking of casting Rani in his next film.

By Jilawatan

Vidya Balan has discovered a new side to Delhi. During her extensive shoot in the capital for ” No One Killed Jessica”, the Bollywood star walked through crowded streets and markets, even in old Delhi, and was quite surprised to find that people did not stop to watch the shooting. Delhiwallahs are as busy as Mumbaikars, the actress said.

“I always thought Delhi was a bit more relaxed than Mumbai where nobody walks aaram se (in a relaxed way). But through my walks in Delhi during the shoot of ‘No One Killed Jessica’, I realised that people don’t have time to look at you. Life is as fast-paced here as in Mumbai,” Vidya told IANS.

The 32-year-old essays the role of Sabrina Lall in the film, based on the murder case of model Jessica Lall, who was shot dead by Manu Sharma in 1999. For many scenes, Vidya had to shoot in perennially crowded areas like Connaught Place and Bhikaji Cama Place in the capital, but says she was surprised that no one waited to see the shooting, unlike earlier times.

“I give complete leeway to the fact that I was dressed differently – very plain and simply. I saw a mad rush of people in CP and Bhikaji Cama, but people didn’t have time to stop and look at us. I had always heard that Mumbai is more used to stars and Delhi isn’t used to stars, but even here, no one cared! This is one new side of Delhi that I got to explore,” she added.

Vidya spent a-month-and-a-half shooting in Delhi for the Rajkumar Gupta film, and says the experience was heart-warming. The film releases Friday.

“I actually walked through the streets of Delhi for the film. It’s been a different and heart-warming experience because it wasn’t like just shooting in one location. I had to walk through streets wearing absolutely plain clothes and shoot with hidden cameras to look like one of the people in the crowd.

“I won’t be able to specify the streets I traversed, but I know I have been through both – Puraani Dilli and New Delhi. I have really explored Delhi like I could never have done alone and I don’t think any Delhiite has explored Delhi the way I did during this shoot,” she said, sounding overwhelmed.

The actress who hails from Tamil Nadu loves Delhi’s winter.

“It always feels so good to be back in Delhi, especially at this time of the year. It’s so charming… we don’t have this kind of weather in Mumbai. The streets are so much calmer during these days than the rest of the year. So I really like it.”

By Jilawatan

No One Killed Jessica actress Vidya Balan says she feels glad that today’s youth are not just clear about their opinions but know how to voice them and drive the government to act – as was seen in the Jessica Lall murder case. “I think it’s very interesting that youth are voicing their opinion on issues and willing to participate through blogs, SMSes and even social networking sites. And the media has helped youth a lot in mobilising public opinion. I am glad youth are not armchair activists saying justice should be meted out. Youth of today say, ‘We can be part of the process to make sure justice is given’. It’s wonderful,” Vidya told IANS in an interview.
The 32-year-old has a vivid recollection of youth participation during the over-a-decade-long legal battle following the murder of model Jessica Lall, who was shot dead by Manu Sharma, the son of a Haryana politician in 1999.

“Back then all of us felt very strongly about it. I remember college students were incensed by what had happened. I am talking about the time a little later than 1999… the case was still going…and there was a fervour across the country. Sitting in Mumbai, people were doing signature campaigns and everyone felt involved in some ways. So it’s nice to see youth have force,” she said.

In Rajkumar Gupta’s No One Killed Jessica, releasing on January 7, Vidya will be seen essaying the role of Sabrina Lall, Jessica’s sister who fought day in and day out to get justice for her younger sister. After living the part in the reel, she hopes no one goes through the experience in real life.

“I would not want anyone to go through any legal battle for so long because the legality aside, it is emotionally draining. I do think that the verdict reassured my faith in the judicial system of the country, but, again, as a citizen I wish justice had been meted out earlier than it was,” said Vidya, who has teamed up with Rani Mukerji in the film.

Vidya never got a chance to meet Sabrina Lall in person before or during the shooting of the film. “Rajkumar Gupta was very clear that all I needed to know was the facts of the case. He wanted me to chart out an emotional journey of Sabrina on my own. Also, we didn’t want to misuse her kindness because she was kind enough to go through our script and give her consent to our film. Sabrina’s emotional journey is the core of the film. But, yes, it is a feature film…it is about stirring people’s emotions,” she said.

Does she hope the film will inspire youth to be more vocal? “I have never thought how inspirational could the film be for viewers. If it happens to inspire, great! But we have not set out to make the film for that purpose. What really inspired us was the spirit of Sabrina… spirit of all thos

By Jilawatan

Well, Aamir certainly seems to have inspired a lot of Bollywood artistes into following his perfectionist ways. And Vidya Balan seems set to be the next actress going the Aamir way. Vidya has decided to do one or two films a year as she wants to make sure that they will be successful at the box office.
Sources say, “Vidya is ensuring that she gives 100 per cent to her roles from the moment the script lands in her hand. She makes sure she knows her character thoroughly before taking on the role and studies everything there is to know about it. You will never see her doing ditzy roles but significantly defining ones.”
After Paa and Ishqiya, Vidya’s penchant for acting will now be seen in the role of Sabrina Lall in Rajkumar Gupta’s No One Killed Jessica, based on the murder of the model Jessica Lall. The actress has made sure that she has left no stone unturned in performing the role.
“It is necessary for me as an actor,” says Vidya. “I am constantly looking to do something different. I want to look forward to something new when I get up every morning. I want that excitement when I go on the sets or else life will be boring. Such roles make me selfish as an actor.”
Speaking about the film she says, “The film is a fast paced thriller set in the hub of political power, New Delhi. It is the story of two amazing women and their relentless pursuit of justice that mobilises an entire nation to prove that in a democracy there is no greater power than the power of the people.”

By Jilawatan

Vidya Balan goes from playing Krishna, the siren in Ishqiya speaking spicy language to a simple, no make-up look while she plays Sabrina Lall, sister of the murdered Jessica Lall in No One Killed Jessica.

And to turn her into a simple girl, who fights for her sister’s murder, we hear that designer Sabyasachi’s brief in the film was that Vidya must look like the girl-next-door and no one should notice her as she walks on the road.

People on the set say that he found the brief more difficult than the usual films where he has to add to the women’s beauty.

By Jilawatan

After Madhuri Dixit, Tabu and Amrita Rao, MF Husain has found a new muse. The 94–year-old artist has reportedly watched Ishqiya (2010) 12 times already — he had earlier seen Dixit’s Hum Aapke Hain Kaun…! (1994) 70 times—and is fida over the gorgeous Vidya Balan. He wants to paint her and wants her in his next directorial venture.

The actress admits that they have spoken and Husain has been extremely generous with his compliments. “I was so overwhelmed when I heard this, I remember reading about him painting Madhuri years ago. And a painting by Husain saab would immortalise me, though I don’t know how to react to the word ‘gorgeous’,” Balan laughs.

She admits that though she has been exposed to his art, she hasn’t seen his two earlier films, Gaja Gamini (2000) and Meenaxi—A Tale of Three Cities (2004). “But I will definitely watch both the films before we meet,” she asserts. “I’d love to work with him and I’m hoping we can get started on the movie by next year.”

Inspiring Sabrina
Meanwhile, Balan who is being felicitated at every award function for Paa or Ishqiya, has almost wrapped up No One Killed Jessica in which she is playing a character reportedly inspired by the late model’s sister Sabrina Lall. Lall, for 11 years, continued with her crusade for justice and was finally vindicated when the accused, Manu Sharma, was found guilty and got a life sentence.

Contrary to rumours, Balan says she hasn’t met Sabrina Lall yet. “She’s never visited the sets, I’d have known if she had, but she’s definitely the face of the Jessica Lall case,” Balan asserts. “Her fight has proved that you have to be the change you want to see in the world.”

In her own way, Balan points out, she too has fought to live and work on her terms. It wasn’t easy veering away from the
conventional stereotype and choosing to do films like Paa and Ishqiya. “But I defied the rules and today I am in a unique position where little kids address me as ‘Paa ki maa’ and young men see me as Krishna whose ‘gaalis’ are sexy,” she laughs.

By Jilawatan

She was in Delhi for over a month to shoot for her forthcoming movie No One Killed Jessica. And before she packed her bags for Mumbai earlier in May, Vidya Balan spoke to TOI about eating paranthas in Chandni Chowk, her first stay at JNU and joining the ‘I Love Delhi’ club.

‘We’ve shot everywhere in Delhi’
While Vidya’s sister and brother-in-law have been in Delhi for the past two and a half years, it’s only now that she has become attached to the city. She says, “I love the place even more than I did earlier because when I stay somewhere for a longer period of time, I get attached. Delhi is a place that I’ve been coming to for years. There was anyway a special fondness, but now there’s an attachment as well. I’ve woken up here every morning; gone to shoot… we’ve shot on the streets, actually, just about everywhere. Every time I think of the film now, it’ll be linked to Delhi. And every time I think of Delhi, it’ll be linked to No One Killed Jessica.”

‘Khan Market is beautiful’
During the first couple of weeks in Delhi, Vidya went with her manager to Khan Market for some shopping. While she was happily checking out shops, word of her being there spread and within minutes a crowd had gathered to meet her. Says Vidya, “I ate twice at Khan Market and indulged myself silly. I checked out a lot of shops here. But, the first day, as soon as I came out of one of the shops, there were at least 500 people outside. I had to call for my car and leave immediately.”

‘ Chandni Chowk is crazy; I had paranthas at Paranthe Wali Gali’
Vidya’s glad that the shooting helped her explore many places in Delhi, including Chandni Chowk. She even managed to tuck in a parantha, while there. She told us, “I haven’t been able to go to Bangla Sahib, but Inshallah, there’s always a next time. I did go to Chandni Chowk. And, it was crazzzzzy. The kind of energy there is phenomenal. I’d just read about purani Dilli. I finally got to see all of that. Even though I couldn’t visit Jama Masjid, I saw many other things and completely soaked in the spirit of old Delhi. I went to the Paranthe Wali Gali. Oh yes, I did. I allowed myself a few concessions and thought ki ek parantha kha lete hain. For almost 15 years, I wanted to eat that one parantha, ever since I’d seen it on a television show. So, I’m glad I got to do that.”

‘I stayed in JNU with my best friend years ago’
Vidya stayed in Lutyens’ Delhi during this visit, but couldn’t help recall her first visit to Delhi. She had stayed with a friend at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). She says, “My first trip to Delhi started with JNU. One of my closest friends, Swati, was studying in there. She asked me if I’d want to stay with her. So, I stayed with her at Aravali hostel. I remember eating at Ganga Dhaba there, and having lots of cups of chai, like everyone else. We even climbed atop the Parthasarthy Rock, and one of our friends just got into the bushes and behaved as if he’d been possessed. The rest of just ran in the opposite direction – that’s my first memory of Delhi… we’d walked towards east gate after that. It was beautiful.”

‘I haven’t met Sabrina’
Even though the movie is based on Sabrina Lall’s fight for slain model Jessica Lall, Vidya didn’t meet her. She does “hope to meet” Sabrina some time, but at this point, the director wanted her to create a person on her own. She added, “Sabrina was kind enough to share all the facts with us. But, the director and I agreed to create our own character after that.”

‘Yeh chaudi sarkein… I envy you guys for that’
The entire trip’s been like a dream for Vidya, who says, “The beauty of Delhi never ceases to strike me. I’ve been here so many times and I keep saying… yeh chaudi sarkein… those tree-lined streets… they have a different charm. The white houses in Lutyen’s Delhi… the kind of space you have in Delhi. I envy you guys for that.” While in Delhi, Vidya also made sure she shopped for some interesting art. She told us, “I’ve picked some interesting art. While exploring the city, I found some interesting places and picked up many things.”

‘I can now say I’ve joined the Delhi fan club’
While her colleagues spoke about shooting in Delhi, Vidya felt alienated. She explains, “I’ve had such a blast shooting here. I used to feel so envious earlier, when friends would talk about shooting in Delhi… you know, from movies like Dilli 6, Oye Lucky Lucky Oye… Everyone would come back and say… arrey Dilli mein shoot karne mein bada mazza aata hai. Now, even I can go back and talk about my experience. I too have joined the Delhi fan club!”

‘I had no maternal bone in me’
On her last day in the city, Vidya visited a pre-school, The Playhouse, in Central Delhi. Her friend, Pooja Jain, is the director of the school and had invited Vidya to interact with the toddlers. Talking about her experience with the children, Vidya said, “I really had no maternal bone in me. I’ve said it before also and people never took me seriously, they just thought I was overwhelmed by Paa. But, Auro actually awakened the mother in me. Earlier, I would be okay for three minutes with kids, but then I would run away. I would be petrified with the fact that they would demand so much attention and ask so many questions. Now, I’m far more comfortable with kids. Also, I came here because Pooja invited me.”

‘I had to play humpty dumpty in pre-school’
Remembering her own days in pre-school, Vidya told us that she’d once been selected to play the character of Humpty Dumpty. She says, “I was to play Humpty Dumpty in a skit and we did rehearsals one whole day. After that, everyone started calling me Humpty Dumpty. I was really fat. So, I came back home really upset and I told my mother, I don’t wana play Humpty Dumpty, and if u want me to play the character, I’ll not go to school. So, my father had to request my teacher to take someone else for the role.”

By Jilawatan

Vidya Balan, who wowed the janta and the critics with her unconventional portrayals of women of substance in Paa and Ishqiya, is now fleshing out a character inspired by the gritty Sabrina Lall.

Your last two films, Paa and Ishqiya, were intense and emotional. One would have expected you to take a welcome break with a light entertainer instead of jumping into another exhausting film, No One Killed Jessica.
I don’t find it a strain. In fact, I enjoy playing such women of substance. In the past, such roles were an aberration. We didn’t see too many woman-centric films like Mother India that showcased her heroic strength.We still have the formulaic films with the typical hero and heroine but we also have films that are not so much about the man or the woman but about characters.
You no longer have to play a Jhansi ki Rani to make yourself heard.You can be a Krishna (Ishqiya) too who is strong, romantic, vulnerable, sensual, violent when the need arises… And real. She sleeps with a man who is not her husband and is unapologetic about it. Perhaps that’s the reason these roles don’t suffocate me. I don’t feel the need to break away and breathe. I’d love to do a comedy some day, but at the same time, I’m quite happy playing a spunky woman who knows and speaks her mind.
Have you met Sabrina Lall?
No, I haven’t. The director (Raj Kumar Gupta ) was clear he didn’t want me interacting with her till No One Killed Jessica was over. I’m not denying that our film is based on the Jessica Lall murder case but at the same time, we have fictionalised facts. Cinema as a medium gives us the licence to do that. Our film is not a bio-pic, it’s a thriller and offers the director’s own take on events that we have been reading about down the years.
Given that your character is inspired by Sabrina, how then did you flesh her out?
The facts are all there for us to read. There’s enough matter on the Internet. And I’ve followed the case closely since I took on the film. We’ve created a character who has grit, guts and will-power. These are the qualities I admired in Sabrina too.She’s been the driving force in the case and it couldn’t have been easy for her. But she refused to give up. She wasn’t just fighting for a cause, she was fighting for a sister she had lost.
What was your reaction to Manu Sharma’s conviction?
As a citizen, it reaffirmed my faith in the Indian judicial system. We may live in a democracy but the buck eventually stops with us. That’s why instead of perennially blaming the system, we need to participate in the process and bring about the change ourselves. This case has taught me that. We have to be the change we want to see in the world.
As Paa ki maa, you have bagged several awards. What made the role memorable?
What I liked about this Vidya is that she is not ashamed to have a child out of wedlock. If she is unsure initially, it’s because she has three years of medical college left and doesn’t know if she can train to be a doctor and be a mother at the same time till her mother reaches out a helping hand.
The other day someone was telling me that the women at his workplace were fantastic at their job but they brought their husband, children and in-laws’ problems along with them. And I told him that that it is this emotionality that is our strength, that makes us what we are. Earlier, you couldn’t be an efficient professional and a caring lover at the same time. You couldn’t be a businessman and a loving mother simultaneously. You couldn’t even be a good lover if you held a job.
I remember Amrita Singh as a tycoon in a film. She was all head and no heart. She was portrayed as an asexual being. Thank God times are changing, our cinema is changing. The success of Paa proved that a woman could be a doctor and at the same time someonewith desires and plenty of love for a sick child.
Do you see a connection between the characters you played in Paa, Ishqiya and No One Killed Jessica?
They are all individuals in their own right, who hold the reins of their lives in their own hands. They make their choices and stand by them. That’s the defining streak.There was a time when you were willing to mould yourself into a commercial heroine. That no longer seems true. Paa was not your quintessential Hindi film yet it made more money than your run-true-to-formula film.&And it liberated me.
Now I no longer have to adhere to a particular image or do a certain kind of film for commercial success. Today, with the audience becoming more astute, you can’t just insert a song-and-a-dance into the plot because it’s the done thing. You have to justify its inclusion.I’ve been told that with my last couple of films, I’ve come into my own. I’m certainly happy with the kind of work I’m getting and doing. The opportunities presented with are phenomenal and they will only get better.
The effort always is to do something challenging and so, fulfilling. And you don’t need to make any compromises because there’s no guarantee that only a certain kind of cinema will succeed at the box office. That realisation has given me the power to do the kind of work I enjoy.
Buzz is that you have signed Sujoy Ghosh’s next film in which you are the hero, heroine and everything else wrapped in one?
That’s one project under strong consideration. It’s an interesting idea, since it’s the only character. That takes care of the competition.
On being the brand ambassador for the national dress
There was a time when I was a rebel without a cause. I was floundering when everything was going perfectly fine. For some reason I felt obliged to do something that wasn’t me. It’s wasn’t so much about choosing between Indian and western wear. It had more to do with the person I am. I was trying to fit in and in the process almost lost myself.
But I’m back on track now. I’ve reclaimed myself and gone back to doing all that I enjoyed before, and that includes wearing a sari. I’ve always enjoyed draping myself in six yards of cotton or silk. The sari is one of the most sensuous garments in the world and is like a second skin for me. I’m thrilled and humbled to be the brand ambassador for the national dress today.
On signing up for designer Sabyasachi Mukherji’s directorial debut
I know Sabya is writing a film. Beyond that I know zilch. If he comes to me with the script and I like it, I’ll be happy to do it. We share a special bond.I really love the work he does which is why you’ll often see me wearing his label. He’s a sensitive, well-read man who is extremely passionate about cinema. Typical Bengali traints, I’d love to see what he comes up with.

By Jilawatan

Based on the infamous Jessica Lall murder case, ‘No One Killed Jessica’ brings two of the versatile actresses Rani Mukherji and Vidya Balan together on one screen. While Rani Mukherji plays the role of a journo, Vidya dons the character of Jessica’s sister Sabrina Lall who strongly fought for justice.

The film is currently being shot in Delhi. Director Rajkumar Gupta who is keen to give the film a realistic look, is shooting in the backdrops of real locations like hospitals and trauma centre, instead of using sets. The film has five songs, out of which four are already said to have been composed, by Amit Trivedi.

Of late our birdies have brought in this buzz that the film has been renamed as ‘System’.

However, the confirmation is yet to come from the director.