Vidya Balan recalls parents' first reaction to The Dirty Picture: 'Dad clapped, mom cried'

Actor Vidya Balan has recalled feeling worried about how her family would react to The Dirty Picture. She revealed her mother and father's immediate reaction to the film.

Actor Vidya Balan recalled feeling nervous to see how her family would react to her racy role in The Dirty Picture. Vidya played yesteryear adult entertainer Silk Smitha in the film, directed by Milan Luthria.

Vidya Balan in a still from The Dirty Picture. (HT Photo)

The Dirty Picture was a critical and commercial success, winning Vidya a National Film Award and grossing over ₹100 crore. In an interview, she remembered being 'worried' about how her family would react to the film.

"We have had support; we were never judged," she told The Times of India. "For example, during the screening of The Dirty Picture, I was worried about how they would react and was waiting outside the screening room during the interval. But when they came out of the screening, my father actually clapped and said, ‘I didn’t see my daughter anywhere in the film’. And my mother cried when the movie ended. Firstly, it was tough for her to see me die on-screen. But most importantly, she said that not for a moment did she feel that I looked cheap, which was a huge compliment coming from her. Because there is a thin line between being sexy and sleazy. But I think, for that, I am grateful to the people I have worked with."

Vidya said that The Dirty Picture wasn't a sure-shot success, and many people had advised her not to do it. She said, "During The Dirty Picture, people would tell me, ‘Are you mad? This will be the end of your career.' That’s when I realised I have to only tune in to the voice within."

Vidya was last seen in the Shakuntala Devi biopic, which released on Amazon Prime Video. Her next film is Sherni.