With her unique choices that reflect her willingness to experiment and stand out, Vidya has redefined the portrayal of women in Hindi cinema. Known for her extraordinary acting, her ability to own the screen, and her boldness to explore, she established herself as one of the greats of the craft.
Early Life
Vidya Balan 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 aspired to a career in film. She was reportedly inspired by the work of actresses Shabana Azmi and Madhuri Dixit. Vidya pursued a bachelor’s degree in sociology from St. Xavier’s College. She later did her master’s degree in sociology from the University of Mumbai.
TV Career and Modelling Days
Vidya’s acting career began with the popular television sitcom “Hum Paanch” (1995. In the serial 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 enter the film industry. She also appeared in several music videos and television commercials. She made 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.
Vidya Balan on Big Screen
Vidya Balan made her Hindi film debut with “Parineeta” (2005), an adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel of the same name. Directed by Pradeep Sarkar, the film featured Vidya as Lalita, a young woman navigating love and societal expectations.
In her very first film, she portrayed a role that earlier was done by the great Meena Kumari. It was 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).” She also played Vidya, the mother of a child with progeria, portrayed by Amitabh Bachchan in “Paa (2009).” These diverse roles established her as a powerhouse performer.
Stardom
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, in “No One Killed Jessica (2011).” The film chronicle the fight for justice for Jessica Lal, a girl famously shot dead by the son of a politician.
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.
Critical Acclaim
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 gets the Padma Shri from the Government of India in 2014.
Personal Life Vidya Balan
On personal front, Vidya married the film producer Siddharth Roy Kapur 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.
Vidya Balan on IMDB
