Vidya Balan

By Jilawatan

Sonakshi Sinha may be the flavour of this season given the fact that her debut film is still plucking awards here and there, but there is a parallel debate going on about this DABANGG girl and that has to do with the kind of roles that she has chosen to play.

Increasingly many industry insiders are tracing parallels between Sonakshi Sinha and Vidya Balan. Though the two actresses might actually belong to different generations, but it seems they have a lot in common.

SONAKSHI SINHA and VIDYA BALAN

Adds our source, “The reason for drawing comparisons between Vidya Balan and Sonakshi Sinha have their own logic. Firstly, like Vidya, Sonakshi is trying to project an image of the earthly heroine. Not only that, both Vidya and Sonakshi are reluctant to expose their bodies beyond a certain point. While, Vidya might have changed her ideas now given the fact that her upcoming film THE DIRTY PICTURE will have lot of skin show, Sonakshi for the moment seems to be overlooking this fact.”

No one can deny that bollywood actresses who have tried to play safe have ended up paying big time and even changing their stand later, Sonakshi Sinha seems to be making the same mistake. Adds a bollywood veteran, “Vidya Balan has come a long way. Now, she has no issues with exposing her body. I think it dawned on her late that bollywood actresses with little sex-quotient don’t make up for popular icons. Now, she is trying to go for an image makeover with THE DIRTY PICTURE.”

Now, the onus is on Sonakshi to take a few tips from Vidya. Her ban on bikinis and exposing her body is not a success formula that worked with her apparent inspiration Vidya Balan, so most likely it won’t work for her too.

By Jilawatan

Bollywood’s A-list actresses, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Vidya Balan will be handing out backstage passes into the glitzy and glamourous world of the showbiz industry with their next releases titled; Heroine and The Dirty Picture.
However, Aish and director Madhur Bhandarkar are one step ahead with their film Heroine, which has already been launched at the Cannes Film Festival, and what better place to create awareness than at an international event? The film is said to be an entertaining, daring, emotional, shocking, glamorous, scandalous behind-the-scenes look at the reality of the showbiz world. The buzz is that the movie is based on the real life story of America’s pop and cultural icon, Marilyn Monroe, however the Heroine team begs to differ and says it’s a story of a Bollywood star.
Film marker Madhur Bhandarkar, who is known for his female orientated movies having previously worked with some of Bollywood’s top actresses, Tabu, Konkana Sen Sharama, Bipasha Basu and Priyanka Chopra, was asked why has he opted out for Aishwarya this time to be his lucky mascot? At the Cannes film festival he told the press, “Rai is a much-talked about actress internationally and I think she truly is a global star in every sense.”
On the other hand, director Milan Luthna has decided to cast the recent award winning actress, Vidya Balan in the movie, The Dirty Picture. Rumour has it that the movie will have elements of soft porn incorporated, however the director has reassured Vidya she will not be presented in a cheap manner, but shown in an aesthetically artistic and sensual manner with a touch of class.
In the meantime, Vidya has been asked to study the English films, Burlesque and Chicago – even the big stars in Bollywood have homework to do!
So which movie are you looking forward to watching?

By Jilawatan

There are two films being made on heroines and their lives. One is The Dirty Picture which has Vidya Balan in the lead and the other is Heroine that stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the lead role.

While Vidya essays a Silk Smitha-type character in Milan Luthria’s film, the second sees Ash playing the role of a superstar whose career is fading away in the Madhur Bhandarkar directed flick.

Now both directors have stepped up their pace to ensure that their project goes on the floor as soon as possible. Madhur wants to release the film after Ra.One while Milan is working with Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn.

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

A plump Vidya Balan in bright sari, walking the ramp for designer Sabyasachi, certainly didn’t look showstopper material.

What’s happening to Vidya Balan? She is getting predictable and thereby boring by the day. Vidya Balan in sari and Vidya Balan with favourite designer Sabyasachi are two things that fail to grab your attention now. Despite that the actress walked the ramp for Sabyasachi on Day 5 of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week at Pragati Maidan, Delhi. And expectedly she was dressed in a sari!

But what was appalling this time is Vidya’s puppy fat. The actress who has put on considerable weight was certainly not looking showstopper material. Apparently she has gained weight to play her character modeled on the lines of Silk Smitha in her upcoming film ‘ The Dirty Picture ‘. South sex symbol Silk Smitha was known for her flabby figure and thunder thighs and Vidya too is supposed to look like her.

We understand Vidya Balan getting into her character to play the role. But getting on to the ramp is certainly not her cup of tea.

By Jilawatan

Vidya Balan insists a wedding to rumoured boyfriend Siddharth Roy Kapoor, CEO of UTV Motion Pictures, is not on the cards. She says cheekily, “I’ve no time to get married, I’m too busy making dirty pictures.” The Dirty Picture in question is Vidya’s role as south porn actor, Silk Smitha.

Given the usually demure actor’s new racy act, has she researched any porn films to prepare for the role? “Not yet, though I think porn is more of a guy thing,” she responds. “But a friend of mine recently lent me a few world movies to watch and I was completely traumatised by this film called Caligula (1979 movie on Roman emperor Caligula featuring explicit sex and violence scenes). It’s not really porn, but it freaked me out.”

Speaking of occupational hazards, Vidya was apparently asked to pile on the pounds to convincingly play the south siren. “We were wondering if I should put on weight for the role, but luckily we decided against it. It will be my interpretation, not an impersonation,” she says.

Too bad, given she could have launched the anti-size zero look… “Oh I’ve always loved my womanly curves,” Vidya laughs. “I’ve never been skinny. Though that doesn’t mean I can eat as I please. In fact, when I was shooting for Kahaani in Kolkata, I complained to my director Sujoy (Ghosh) that I couldn’t eat like a pregnant woman despite playing one.”

Vidya recalls a time when her weight was literally giving her sleepless nights. “I’ve had a sleeping problem since I was in school, I couldn’t fall asleep before 4 am. Then about two years ago, I started putting on weight and everyone started writing about it,” she recalls, adding, “I set my diet straight but to no avail. Then my doctor asked me how many hours I was sleeping, which were about three-four. She explained how it wasn’t enough and that’s the reason I was gaining weight despite working out.”

Vidya, who is the brand ambassador for Sleep Awareness Month, admits that her sleep disorder had changed her personality. “I was edgy, suffered from low energy and was constantly restless,” she says. “It took a great deal of time to correct my sleep cycle, given half my life of abuse, but now my eyes start shutting earlier than I’d like them to.”

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 showed audiences her sensual side in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Ishqiya early this year. After getting rave reviews for that performance, the actress has signed on to enact the life and times of one of South India’s biggest sex-symbols, Silk Smitha, in director Milan Luthria’s next project called ‘The Dirty Picture’.

Vidya recently did a racy photo- shoot for a magazine for which she has received many compliments.

The actress suffered from a nervous breakdown while shooting for Sujoy Ghosh’s film Kahaani in Kolkata. So busy is the actress that she has yet to throw a housewarming party for her friends after buying a spacious flat in Mumbai’s Khar in February.

She is also miffed with director Rajkumar Gupta about having Jessica Lal’s sister Sabrina make a guest appearance in her forthcoming movie No One Killed Jessica. She feels that the least the makers could have done is respect Jessica’s family privacy and not directly involve Sabrina in the movie.

By Jilawatan

Believe it or faint, news has it that Vidya Balan is all set to play the role of the sex bomb Silk Smitha in a film titled The Dirty Picture.
This film, however, will not have anything that will titillate the audience, rather it will give a peek to the loneliness and frustration of this South Indian actress who was notorious for her sexy and bold image.
Producer Ekta Kapoor is extremely excited about this project. She says that it is the story of a woman who broke all norms of the society and became super famous, but ultimately ended her life in a very tragic way. The film will highlight the loneliness and craving of a woman who became famous for all the wrong reasons.
News has it that director Milan Luthria has Vidya Balan in mind for playing this role of this doomed actress, but Milan comments that it is too early to reveal the lead.However,Milan is extremely impressed with the film and comments that it has every element that a good film is supposed to have.
Vidya, on the other hand, says that she has been approached for this film, but nothing has been finalised yet.