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

She took people back to the black and white era with her role in the period film “Parineeta”. Then came her fashion faux pas and a dip in the career graph. But a careful and confident Vidya Balan is on the rise again in Bollywood.

Though at 33 she is just six years old in the Hindi movie industry, her oeuvre is so impressive that there was a Vidya Balan retrospective at the Indian film fest in two Australian cities.

From playing a foul mouthed, manipulative vengeful woman in ” Ishqiya” to the mother of a progeria patient to a grieving sister in ” No One Killed Jessica”, Vidya has been proving her versatility with her nuanced handling of different characters.

Her much-talked-about forthcoming releases – director Milan Luthria’s “The Dirty Picture”, based on the life of Silk Smitha, south Indian cinema’s sex symbol, and Sujoy Ghosh’s thriller “Kahani” in which she plays a six-month pregnant woman – are expected to take her creativity to another level.

Applauding her work and choice of roles, director Sudhir Mishra said: “She is very brave and very gutsy. Hats off to Vidya. She will last longer. It will pay her off very well. She will be remembered as another kind of actress and remembered more than a lot of people. She should continue doing this kind of roles. She should do what she can do well. She should retain that uniqueness.”

Director Anurag Kashyap feels what Vidya is doing is pathbreaking. “I think she is showing the way for everyone else. Vidya’s fan following has increased 50-fold after the kind of work she started doing. We need her,” he added.

This Iyer girl from Palakkad in Kerala grew up in Mumbai. She did her graduation in sociology from St. Xavier’s College.

After award-winning debut with the period drama “Parineeta” (2005), she charmed her fans in a modern avatar in “Lage Raho Munna Bhai”. Her small but impressive role in ” Guru” too earned her accolades.

But after a meteoric rise to fame, her career took a dip post “Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love” and it seemed as if lady luck had deserted her completely. She was in the news for all the wrong reasons — from her choice of roles to co-stars to her looks in movies like “Heyy Babyy” and “Kismet Konnection” — she was criticised for everything.

By Jilawatan

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan, who essays the role of Silk Smitha in The Dirty Picture, says that portraying the southern seductress will not be a difficult job for her.

“I don’t think it is difficult to portray a real-life character like Silk Smitha. People know her through her work,

However, the actress said it would be challenging to portray characters of prominent personalities.

“It would be challenging if I play a character based on Indira Gandhi as people know her mannerisms and you can’t go wrong for a person of this stature who was a Prime Minister. She continues to be a prominent person. Even in that case to play Amitabh Bachchan would be challenging,” she said.

“With Silk Smitha it is going to be more of my personal interpretation than her impersonation,” she added.

Portraying real-life characters is not a new thing for the Ishiqiya girl, who played Sabrina Lal in her previous film No One Killed Jessica.

In Milan Luthria’s The Dirty Picture, a biopic based on the life and death of Silk Smitha, Vidya would be seen in a complete different avatar, alongside Emraan Hashmi, Tusshar Kapoor and Naseeruddin Shah.

The film is an ode to the life of the southern sexy siren Vijaylakshmi, better known as Silk Smitha, and her journey to stardom followed by her sudden demise, the actress said.

Vijaylakshmi reached iconic status as a sex symbol in Tamil cinema. Appearing in over 200 films, the young actor was neck deep in controversies and eventually died at the age of 33. It is suspected that she committed suicide.

“On my part I would do research on her. I have seen her songs and films on south Indian channels. She spelt sex,” the 33-year-old Vidya said.

Shooting for the film begins next month.

Vidya, who went de-glam wearing loose and ill-fitting shirts in No One Killed Jessica, would now be seen in an alluring avatar in The Dirty Picture.

However, the actress says she is least bothered about being glamorous or non-glamorous.

“I don’t see or define a role as glamorous and non-glamorous. I am getting to play a completely different person and that is what is exciting for me. Glamorous and non-glamorous does not matter to me. The script is the queen. I feel even the saree is extremely glamorous and sexy,” she said.

By Jilawatan

Vidya Balan was honoured by the Mayor of Melbourne as part of the ongoing Indian Film Festival 2011: Bollywood and Beyond which featured a special restrospect of her movies.

The fest kicked off in Sydney with No One Killed Jessica. Vids was thrilled and hope her special friend ‘SRK’ (not Shah Rukh Khan!) was around to share her joy.

By Jilawatan

Search for Vidya Balan online and be prepared for some racy pictures. You will definitely find one of Vidya in a lacy, black bikini or an even more revealing silver number.

Many were shocked by the steamy photos, but no one more than Vidya herself! When asked about her “debut” on Maxim Magazine, she believed someone had made a mistake. She told TOI, “When I heard there was a picture of me in a bikini on a magazine cover, I thought someone was being mistaken for me because I haven’t done a shoot like this. But I was shocked when I saw it. I will be taking proper legal action against the people who are responsible for this.”

The photograph uses photo software to morph an existing picture of Vidya’s face onto the body of someone else. Last December, a similar morphed photo appeared of Sonakshi Sinha on Maxim magazine’s cover. Other actresses to fall victim to this kind of defamation include Khushboo and Celina Jaitly.

Vidya’s introduction into Bollywood was defined by traditional and modest roles. However, after her most recent releases – Ishqiya and No One Killed Jessica, Vidya teeters on that line between bold and controversial and the actress is not stopping there. Her forthcoming projects include the intriguing The Dirty Picture playing Bollywoo’s Silk Smitha.

By Jilawatan

Vidya Balan is known for delivering power-packed performances in film after film. After Paa, Ishqiya and No One Killed Jessica, Vidya will be next seen in Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani.

Kahaani is a story of a pregnant woman who is on the look-out for her husband who’s gone missing. The film has been majorly shot in Kolkata. Sujoy Ghosh tweeted, “KAHAANI was shot in all real locations. No budget to build set. In Kolkata its totally impossible to shoot real but we did it:)”

By Jilawatan

From playing a crusader of justice in “No One Killed Jessica” Vidya Balan will now be seen in the role of a sexy siren in “Dirty Picture”.

She will appear in a very bold avatar in the film. “It doesn’t get bolder than this”, states Vidya.

She told reporters “I have to work hard to portray the character of Silk Smitha because there is no similarity between us. It is really interesting that you play a character, which is totally different from you. I am very excited.”

Her character of Silk Smitha has been inspired by the late sex bomb who committed suicide.

In an interview Vidya stated “I loved the script and was almost shocked that they (Milan and Balaji) thought of me. I was shocked and thrilled because she is so unlike me. Silk Smitha’s sexuality is on your face. It is almost offensive.”

She added “Dirty Picture is an apt title for the movie. It is reflective of our perception of her. We feel that she could not have made a pretty picture.”

In the film Vidya and Naseeruddin Shah will be seen indulging in a lovemaking scene.

The duo had earlier done love making scenes in Vishal Bharadwaj’s “Ishqiya” but this film requires Vidya to get more passionate and intimate with Naseeruddin.

The love making scenes in this film will not be titillation but pure romance.

By Jilawatan

Vidya Balan is very fond of Rekha. The actress loves to dress and look like the beautiful Rekha. The fact that both actresses hail from South, bonds them more than anything else.

It is believed that after a recent movie award function, Rekha expressed her wish to watch Vidya’s much talked about film No One Killed Jessica. And could Vidya deny? The actress instantly decided to hold a special screening for Bollywood’s greatest diva and few close friends.

Rekha was super impressed and moved by the way Vidya portrayed the role of Sabrina Lall. She couldn’t stop herself and cried while watching the film. Rekha said that Vidya was fantastic in her character and also started addressing her as Sabrina. Rekha gave her blessings and hugged Vidya after watching the film.

How touching!

By Jilawatan

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan says the audience will see her in a ‘bolder avatar’ in the upcoming movie ‘Dirty Picture’.

‘It doesn’t get bolder than this,’ said Vidya.

The movie is based on the life of Silk Smitha, one of the most popular sex sirens of the mid eighties in the South Indian film industry. She was known for her bold roles and skimpy outfits.

The shooting of the film is set to start soon.

Riding high on the success of her last film ‘No One Killed Jessica’, Vidya feels playing Silk Smitha on screen is very interesting as there are no similarities between the two women.

‘I have to work hard to portray the character of Silk Smitha because there is no similarity between us. It is really interesting that you play a character, which is totally different from you. I am very excited,’ Vidya told reporters Wednesday on the sidelines of the launch of a book penned by film producer Pritish Nandy.

‘Dirty Picture’ will also have Nasseeruddin Shah sharing screen space opposite Vidya. The two had been paired opposite each other in ‘Ishqiya’.

By Jilawatan

2010 saw the Bollywood lose out Rs. 3 billion at the box-office in spite of the most hyped mega budget films with super stars in them. But 2011 kick started the year in a good way with Rani Mukherji and Vidya Balan and so far the films released have raked in good moolah for the industry and is showing good signs of profit with a mixed bag of releases so far.
‘No One Killed Jessica’: The hard hitting film on the murder of Jessica Lal was the first film to release this year on Jan 7th. Rani Mukherji was back in the big screen as the journalist hurling abuse and standing up for justice along with Viday Balan as Sabrina Lal. The film collected Rs. 389 so far and is still going quite strong at the theatres after two weeks.
‘Yamla Pagla Deewana’ and ‘Turning 30!!!’: Two films of different genre released on 14th Jan and both did well in the box office. While the first flick brought Dharmendra, Sunny and Bobby Deol on-screen again in a full out commercial laugh riot movie with emotion, drama, romance and thrill. On the other hand ‘Turning 30’ dealt with the real life crisis of women who turns 30 and how they deal with it, Gul Panag did justice to the role in the light-hearted yet a thoughtful flick. “YPD’ collected Rs. 350 over the week and ‘Turning 30’ also didn’t do bad as it has collected Rs. 50 million.
‘Dhobi Ghat’: The Aamir Khan venture released on 21st and has opened to the box-office collection of Rs.9.3 million. The film is different from any film that has released so far this year, it is the directorial debut of Kiran Rao and is heart wrenching in the way it has showed Mumbai. The city has become the character of a film and according to the critics she has done a commendable job.

One just hopes that as the month ends with the release of another comedy film ‘Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji’ featuring Ajay Devgan, Emraan Hashmi and Omi Vaidya and directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, the trend of profit continues. Also it follows throughout the year and Bollywood sees the face of profit in 2011 again with the long list of powerful releases.