From being labeled as "bad luck" to redefining Bollywood's definition of a heroine with her work - Vidya Balan's journey is an inspiration for many.
Remember Vidya Bagchi from 'Kahaani'? A woman who arrives in an unfamiliar city alone, and must outsmart the entire system to achieve her goal. She is vulnerable, but not weak, and definitely knows how to play the game. Well, I understand why Sujoy Ghosh, the director, chose Vidya Balan for the role. To play such a complex and layered character, being a good actress is not enough - you need to be as strong and determined as her. Just like Vidya Bagchi, Vidya Balan also came to an unfamiliar place (read Bollywood) where she had no Godfather, and worse, she didn't fit into the industry's idea of a mainstream heroine. However, she knew how to fight her battle, and didn't just win it like a boss, but also set an example for others. And while most of her contemporaries were happy playing the hero's love interests on the screen, she chose to break free from that stereotype and became a leading lady in the truest sense of the term. There's no one like her. And it wouldn't be even an iota of an exaggeration to say that there wouldn't be anyone like her in years to come.
Vidya Balan in ‘Kahaani’
Born on January 1, 1979, Vidya made her debut in Bollywood with 'Parineeta' in 2005. But before that, she had tried to establish herself in other film industries (so-called 'regional') but failed. And not many know that she was once labeled as a "bad luck" in the industry.
(Credit: balanvidya)
As we celebrate Vidya's 46th birthday, let's learn about that in this article.
Vidya Balan decided to become an actress at a very young age. Her inspiration was Madhuri Dixit, specifically her performance in the dance number "Ek Do Teen" in 'Tezaab'. At the age of 16, Vidya was selected for a television series, which, quite unfortunately, was shelved midway. Then, in 1995, she started her journey with the sitcom 'Hum Paanch'. This earned him loads of acclaim, paving her way to several television commercials and music videos.
During this time, she got an offer to play the female lead (opposite Mohanlal) in a Malayalam film. Prior to the film, Mohanlal and its producer had delivered 8 consecutive hits together. This film unexpectedly got shelved (reportedly due to creative differences between the superstar and the filmmaker). And thereafter, Vidya was labeled as a 'bad luck' - apparently, being a woman and also new to the film made her a soft target.
The news spread like wildfire in the Malayalam film industry. Vidya was then kicked out of as many as 13 films. She tried to step into other industries as well, but nothing worked in her favor. For instance, she started shooting for a Tamil film titled 'Run', and was replaced by Meera Jasmine after her first schedule. Also, she shot for a few films which never saw the light of the theatres.
(Credit: KLiKK)
But you know, Vidya is not someone who would just give up without trying. She continued fighting despite all the obstacles, and finally made her debut with the 2003 Bengali film 'Bhalo Theko'. Then she made her Bollywood debut with the 2005 film 'Parineeta' - and you know the rest.
In several of her interviews, the 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa' actress has spoken about being labeled as "bad luck" by filmmakers. In an interview with Indian Express, she said, "People branded me unlucky or jinxed. It was heartbreaking. There was a lot of anger in me at that time. Because of that, a lot of other people who had signed me in between these two films began to replace me without letting me know. It was about a dozen films that I was replaced in."
In another interview, she said, "It is ridiculous. I don’t believe in it. I am not a superstitious person. I don’t think any success or failure can be attributed to anyone else. You know sometimes things don’t work out. I was heartbroken when I was replaced in all those films. I was thrown out of a very big Tamil film at the time.”
Happy Birthday, Vidya. Thanks For Inspiring Us!
