Bhubaneswar: She is an actress who is known for redefining the portrayal of women in Hindi cinema. She also has been very much willing to experiment and stand out. She was bold enough to explore the genre of films.
Today on her birthday, a salute to the tinsel town star who has the extraordinary acting knack, who has the ability to own the screen, all of which had made her one of the greats of the Indian Cinema.
The actress is none other than Vidya Balan.
She was born on January 1, 1979, in Bombay into a Tamil family. Her father, P. R. Balan, worked as the executive vice president of Digicable, while her mother, Saraswathy Balan, is a homemaker. Vidya grew up in the suburban neighbourhood of Chembur, Mumbai, and attended St. Anthony Girls' High School.
From a young age, she had a filmy tooth, and was inspired by the work of actresses like Shabana Azmi and Madhuri Dixit. Vidya pursued a bachelor's degree in sociology from St. Xavier's College and later earned a master's degree in sociology from the University of Mumbai.
VIDYA BALAN DEBUT TO B-TOWN
Vidya's acting career began with the popular television sitcom "Hum Paanch" (1995), where she played the role of Radhika Mathur, a bespectacled teenager.
Despite her success on television, Vidya faced numerous rejections and setbacks in her early attempts to make a debut in the B-town. She appeared in several music videos and television commercials before making her film debut in the Bengali film "Bhalo Theko" (2003), directed by Goutam Halder. Her performance in the film earned her critical acclaim and set the stage for her entry into Hindi films.
With her first film, "Parineeta," a period drama in which she portrayed the role that earlier was done by the great Meena Kumari, a humongous burden to carry for any newcomer, but she successfully did it to universal acclaim and a thumping success at the box office.
Her performance was widely praised, earning her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.
She then played the role of Jhanvi Sahni, a radio jockey, opposite Sanjay Dutt in "Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006)," Avni Chaturvedi/Manjulika, a woman suffering from dissociative identity disorder in "Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007)," and Vidya, the mother of a child with progeria, portrayed by Amitabh Bachchan in "Paa (2009)." These diverse roles established her as a powerhouse performer.
In 2010, she played the role of Krishna Verma, a seductive widow, in this black comedy, "Ishqiya." Her performance earned her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress. Vidya portrayed Sabrina Lal, the sister of Jessica Lal, who was famously shot dead by the son of a politician in "No One Killed Jessica (2011)," a murder victim seeking justice.
Her bold and fearless portrayal of Silk, a character inspired by the life of South Indian actress Silk Smitha in "The Dirty Picture (2011)," earned her the National Film Award for Best Actress.
One of her most memorable films was "Kahaani (2012)," where she played the role of Vidya Bagchi, a pregnant woman searching for her missing husband in Kolkata. The film was a critical and commercial success, and Vidya's performance earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.
Over the years she continued to give memorable performances with films like "Tumhari Sulu" (2017), "Mission Mangal" (2019), "Shakuntala Devi" (2020), "Sherni" (2021), "Jalsa" (2022), and "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3" (2024).
Vidya time and again proved her strong screen presence and acting prowess, which earned her several awards, including a National Film Award for The Dirty Picture and seven Filmfare Awards from 17 nominations, 6 Screen Awards, 5 Zed Cine Awards, and 4 IIFA Awards. She was also awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2014.
Vidya Balan is married to film producer Siddharth Roy Kapur. The couple tied the knot on December 14, 2012.
Vidya Balan will always be remembered and credited for pioneering the change in the portrayal of women in Hindi cinema and her choice of roles that challenge societal norms and stereotypes. On her birthday we wish her a very happy and successful life ahead.
