Acting, discerning between the real and
reel world, and striking the right balance, can be a pretty tough gig. However
there are those who find themselves and come back stronger. Vidya Balan, one of
Hindi cinema’s more interesting actresses, has had quite an eventful journey to
the top. Criticised for her roles and weight, she has made peace with herself
and is living life on her terms. In Goa for the Women Economic Forum, Vidya
seemed at peace with herself as she spoke of the challenges she faced when she
decided to make her mark in the film industry.
Self doubt, she said, was a constant
companion and it assailed her at every turn. Today, as she looks back, she says,
“I think it is a problem everyone has to deal with but one should never ever
forget what one has; everyone has strengths.” As a middle class Tamil Brahmin
girl living in middle class Chembur, Mumbai, she aspired to a career before the
camera. She had her first acting role in the 1995 sitcom ‘Hum Paanch’. She
however listened to her parent’s advice and pursued a master’s degree in
sociology from the University of Mumbai. Her subsequent attempts at garnering a
role in a Hindi film proved unsuccessful with directors expressing their
interest in her but the film not getting made. This happened a couple of times
and, as is the norm in the industry, Vidya was labelled unlucky.
She featured in various television
commercials and music videos and in 2003 made her feature film debut as the
protagonist of the independent Bengali drama ‘Bhalo Theko’. In 2005, Vidya hit
pay dirt and garnered praise for her first Hindi film, the drama ‘Parineeta’.
She received critical acclaim for her performance in that movie and was feted
by the press and generally, everyone that mattered. But like everything in life,
it was too good to last.
Articles began to appear in the media about
the kind of clothes she was wearing and her weight. On this she said, “There
was thankfully no criticism of my performances but yes, there were a slew of
articles about my weight and my clothes.” Her passion for the sari was obvious
and she says people could not understand it. Her weight always varied and the
comments got to her. “My sister and brother in law both of whom I respect
greatly were a source of strength. They said that I would not be able to make
everyone happy,” she said. She mulled over that piece of advice and realised
that it made a lot of sense. “I changed everything for me. I got comfortable
with who I was and I was happy again.”
Vidya Balan is also brand ambassador of a
sanitation programme started by the earlier government, targeted towards rural
women. She said she knew how it felt to be in these women’s shoes. “I was once
out on a field trip miles away from Varanasi. Later in the day, I requested the
organisers to take me to a facility where I could use the toilet. I was told
that the open fields were an option since toilets for women were only available
in Varanasi. I felt humiliation at this but then I also realised how other
women felt,” she said.
As a woman who stays true to her persona
and while playing a myriad of characters on screen, it only seemed fit to ask
Vidya how she perceived herself. To this, she simply said that she was an
actress and she would like to leverage her reach as an actress for good.
