I’m told I am the face of change: Vidya Balan

Actor Vidya Balan says Indian women are being portrayed in a real way in films and she’s happy she’s part of the change.

Actor Vidya Balan knows her game well. When Bollywood is making films that are inspiring, empowering and way ahead of time, with heroines taking the centrestage, Vidya takes pride that she’s somewhere contributed to this change. “It feels great when someone says I have been the face of this change that cinema is witnessing. I think I’ve been at the right place, at the right time with the right amount of greed.”

Actor Vidya Balan says she has been fortunate to be part of films that break stereotypes.

The 37-year-old, who was last seen in Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani 2, asserts that the kind of films that are being made today with female actors breaking stereotypes are primarily stories that we are seeing around us in real life.

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Actor Vidya Balan won the national film award for Best Actress for the 2012 film The Dirty Picture.

“Cinema is a reflection of society and reality, and these films are nothing but real stories around us,” she says, and explains, “Women are leading their lives on their own terms, pursuing their dreams, won’t take no for an answer and they know when to say no. All of this is bound to inspire writers and people love watching it,” she says. Vidya feels she has been fortunate that such interesting scripts have come her way. “The scripts were right, and I have also got a chance to bring out the best in me while playing these roles.”

“I’m happy we are no longer just glorifying women - not making them either absolutely perfect or totally dark. We are rather humanising them.”

Having been part of award-winning films such as The Dirty Picture (2011), Paa (2009), Kahaani (2012), Vidya says it’s been a different experience portraying strong women on-screen. “I’m happy we are no longer just glorifying women - not making them either absolutely perfect or totally dark. We are rather humanising them and that’s what the audience connects with,” she says.

Vidya feels it is also great that the films are doing well at the box office. “Films now don’t show women overcoming whole lot of trouble and making sacrifices in life. It’s so impressive to look at how women are really grabbing your attention because of their spunk, spirit and willingness to go after what they want in life,” adds Vidya.

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