Why Vidya Balan broke her no-remake rule for Begum Jaan

Vidya Balan broke her no-remake rule for Begum Jaan, which is a remake of a Bengali film. Here’s why.

Actor Vidya Balan says she is not very keen to do remakes, especially if it is that of a classic movie.

Bagum Jaan, produced by Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt’s Vishesh Films, is set to release on April 14.

“I am not very excited about the thought of doing remakes, especially if it is a classic. But sometimes your greed as an actor overpowers you and every rule that you make for yourself,” Vidya said here.

The actor will next be seen in Begum Jaan -- a Hindi adaptation of National Award-winner Srijit Mukherji’s critically-acclaimed Bengali film Rajkahini. The film sees Vidya play a brothel owner in a story of survival set against the backdrop of the country’s partition in 1947.

The film, produced by Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt’s Vishesh Films, is set to release on April 14.

Talking about the movie, Vidya said: “Srijit came to me for the original which I couldn’t do at that point. So I was glad he came back to me. When I saw the film, I didn’t want to give it a miss.”

She says she was not trying to mimic the original.

Mahesh also added that Begum Jaan is not a remake as there is freshness in the narrative. Mukherji also asserts that it is a retelling of the story from a different perspective.

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