After giving solo blockbusters The Dirty Picture and Kahaani, Vidya Balan has draw up a wish list of male co-stars. She wants to work with actors like Abhishek Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Prosenjit Chatterjee. "I would like to work with those who I have already worked with and those who I haven't. I would love to pair with Abhishek (with whom she was seen in Paa)... It's been long. I am very greedy to work with good actors and directors," she said at the release of the DVD of her film "Kahaani" here Wednesday.
"Kahaani, a thriller directed by Sujoy Ghosh, is about a pregnant woman's difficult journey to find her husband's killer.

The actress said she would like to work with Hritik because she hasn't worked with him. Talking about Bengali superstar Prosenjit, she said: "We have been wanting to work together for a long time. Every year there has been talks about a Bengali film but we have not been able to work out the dates. So this year, Sujoy has said he will make a film with both of us. We are on a lookout for a good script. If everything happens, we will make it work."

Vidya said she would love to team up with Shah Rukh in a romantic flick. "I think I grew up watching all his films where he plays the ultimate romantic hero. When you think of romance you think of Rajesh Khanna and Shah Rukh Khan. These are the names that are foremost on my mind.

"Every woman wants a Raj (SRK's character in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge). That's why I have always wanted to work with him. Whenever we work together, I would like it to be a nice relationship story," she said.

If The Dirty Picture is remade in Bengali with item girl Rakhi Sawant, how will the latter fare? Vidya said: "I have seen Rakhi a lot, so I think she is a lot of masti. I am waiting to see what she does in the film."

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Vidya Balan launches DVD of her film ‘Kahaani’. Kahaani is a Bollywood film. It Resembles ‘Deception’ (1993 film) a.k.a. Ruby Cairo featuring Andie McDowell, Liam Neeson and Viggo Morten sen with several modifications in the script, directed and co-produced by Sujoy Ghosh and featuring Vidya Balan, Parambrata Chatterjee and Emraan Hashmi in the key roles.

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Vidya Balan gives Vidhu Vinod Chopra's new film Ferrari Ki Sawaari a leg up with a hotly anticipated lavani number which was released today. The song Mala Jau De features the talented actress' curvy form encased in a red Maharashtrian sari.

According to reports, Vidya Balan had rehearsed for 15 days straight for the lavani number and then shot for the song in six days. The movie is directed by Rajesh Mapuskar and Sharman Joshi plays the lead in it.

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After their successful outing in 'The Dirty Picture', Vidya Balan and Emraan Hashmi will be seen again in director Rajkumar Gupta's 'Ghanchakkar'.

The duo created magic in their limited screen sharing space in Ekta Kapoor's 'The Dirty Picture' and their chemistry was acknowledged by the audience. Though 'Ghanchakkar' is touted as a comic thriller, Emraan and Vidya are going to have quite a few intimate (read: kissing) scenes.

The hot couple will be playing husband and wife in the flick and hence there will be no shying away from the scenes. Some rumour mills even suggest that these kissing scenes can be long ones, longer than before.

The film is expected to go on floors in August this year and is creating a lot of flutter already, the above reason being one of the major attraction points.

Vidya was the obvious first choice for the role for director Rajkumar Gupta, who worked with Balan in 'No One Killed Jessica'. This will be a new genre for Vidya in a totally different avatar, in a quirky, mad, outside the box role.

The director has confidence that the two leads and their chemistry between them will take the viewers on a rollercoaster ride. When the lead pair has already worked together, there is a certain amount of comfort that is brought to the table.

The actors themselves are equally excited to launch into this experience and are hoping to relive their former success that came with 'The Dirty Picture'. The story of the film is said to be very different and appealing; it is the story of an ex-conman named Sanju (Emraan), who is laid back and has a taste for finer things in life.

The problem is that he has an ambitious wife, played by Vidya, who has her own notions of the world. It's about how he gets stuck into a ‘chakkar’ (mess) and has to suffer two thugs in the process – one with a bad ailment and one with a bad sense of humour, leading to madness, confusion and chaos and unleashing some mad cap characters in his life. Well, going by the plot and Vidya-Emraan's past record, we're sure of some fireworks.

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And so she came - the girl next door whom all single men (and some married ones too) wanted to take home to their mothers. From ad films to the silver screen through an alien language— Bengali — made the advent appear even stronger. She was an outsider, with no film royalty in her blood to speak of.

But she had the talent, the charm and ways to make people swoon. Parineeta and a few films later, she was on a roll. The Gandhigiri of Munnabhai would not have resonated as far as it did without her honest and humble supporting role. And then came some “attempts at attempting”. Being someone she wasn’t, wearing clothes that did not reflect her aura and playing roles not meant for her. Happens to most of us. And we keep attempting.

But then one fine day Vidya Balan stopped attempting. And started performing. Doing what she felt was right. And what she was good at. Which is pretty much doing great roles. And being the role she wanted to play. And she kept getting better, shoving aside criticism of not being a size zero, not having item numbers to her credit (we’ll come to that in a while), and wonder of wonders, not being from a filmi khandaan. The days of middle class Mumbai producing stars had gone, they said.

So came the motherly role in Paa, and a Filmfare Best Actress Award. The saucy girl in Ishqiya followed, appreciated by the front benchers and the multiplex audience alike. She recreated the sister’s angst in No One Killed Jessica and made a country aware that what political power can do, people’s power did better.

And then came the item number, she rung a chord in everyone who watched The Dirty Picture and became the Ooh la la girl when the song reached the top of the charts and began to be belted out at dance parties from Goregaon to Guwahati. She had recreated the image of the item girl, with her own signature. Svelte, accented hotties step aside. The time for the siren is here.

And with Kahaani, the roll continues. As does the picking of a role. Over which she has now attained mastery. The chatterati are now comparing her with Tabu, an honour she will enjoy. The purple patch, the Midas touch, Jupiter having transitioned into a good house, the who’s who and the man on the Mumbai local are all discussing her. Irrespective of their answers, they will surely be queueing up to watch her next film such is the spell that she has cast on the nation.

Her story can itself be made into an intriguing film that could bring in the audiences into the multiplexes. It would, of course star her in the lead role. But hold on, we haven’t even finished writing out the opening sequence yet. Let’s enjoy the real thing while it happens and leave it for a few generations down to pen a biographical piece on her.

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After playing powerful characters in films like 'No One Killed Jessica', 'The Dirty Picture' and 'Kahaani', Vidya Balan is now all set to play a simple housewife in her next film 'Ghanchakkar'. Ghanchakkar re-unites Vidya Balan with her 'The Dirty Picture'co-star Emraan Hashmi. The film produced by UTV is directed by Rajkumar Gupta. Rajkumar Gupta plans to shoot portions of the film guerilla style with hidden cameras on the streets of Mumbai.

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These lyrics from Gerri Halliwell’s chartbuster Strength of a Woman were racing through my mind as I waited to meet the actress who has been of late proclaimed as the ‘Fourth Khan’ or ‘the female Big B’ of the Indian film industry. Year 2011-12 has certainly been big for Vidya Balan, who continues to reap the rewards for her stellar performances in movies like The Dirty Picture and Kahani. In essaying the roles of the seductive ‘Silk’ and the hapless ‘Vidya Bagchi’, Vidya not only made a strong talent statement, but she set a trend for women-oriented films where heroines are not just chosen for decorative purposes.

This was Vidya’s second visit to Melbourne. Last year she was here as a guest of Mind Blowing Films to launch the film No One Killed Jessica at the Indian Film Festival. This year, she is the brand ambassador of the Indian Film Festival. I asked Vidya how things had changed for her personally in the year she turned from star to superstar.

“It’s nice to hear that people think I am a superstar,” said Vidya, gracefully adjusting her elegant Sabyasachi sari. Taking a moment to think she continued, “I think I have got a lot busier. There is hardly much time to breathe, but I am enjoying every moment. The fact that The Dirty Picture and Kahani have received critical and commercial success is really a validation of my beliefs and I am most grateful for that. I am completely humbled by all the love and acclaim that has come my way.”

Winner of the National Film Award for Best Actress, five Filmfare awards as well as three consecutive Screen Awards for Best Actress, Vidya is a feted actress in India and offers for endorsements, causes, charities come in by the spade-full. So what made her accept the opportunity to become the brand ambassador for the Film Festival of India in Melbourne?

“When I came to Melbourne last year I received such a warm welcome that I decided I would be back soon,” she said. “I am honoured to be the Festival Ambassador this year. This festival offers a diverse choice of cinema not only from India but also from neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Indian cinema reaches across many genres and many styles and it would make me proud to introduce this incredible industry to Australian film lovers”.

It was easy to warm up to the articulate and media savvy Vidya. Looking slimmer than last year, she was still glowing with the effect of the success that is currently her travelling companion. “I am a greedy actress,” said Vidya. “I would love to do a role in any country, including Australia. It will give me an opportunity to work on the Australian accent that I find quite interesting”. “My only condition,” she added jokingly, “is that the film has to be shown in Melbourne and they may want to give me an honorary citizenship as well”.

During her last visit to Melbourne, Vidya had waxed lyrical of her affection for Melbourne and its people. This year too she expressed similar sentiments. “What does one of the most talented actresses in India like about one of the most liveable cities in the world?” I asked.

This time there was no pausing to think and her response was quick. “I love Melbourne because I think it is modern; however it has retained an old world charm. It is not cold like other countries that I have visited. There is a certain warmth and romance about Melbourne and it reminds me to some extent of Kolkata. It could be because both cities have trams. I hope to get some time from my hectic schedule to take a ride on Melbourne’s famous tram”. Despite not seeing much of Melbourne on her last trip, Vidya found the people so warm and welcoming that she was happy to return. “I remember my trip to MCG last year. People in India loved photos of my visit to the mecca of world sports,” she said.

Even though Vidya is not a sports buff and confesses to possessing limited knowledge of footy, she was happy to visit the MCG again this year to present the ball to the umpire at the Richmond Tigers versus Sydney Swans match.  “Honestly I don’t really know much about footy, but where else would I get to see so many hot men in the same place at the same time,” said Vidya with a tongue-in-cheek grin. Speaking of eye candy, the versatile actress confessed that she always wanted to meet Australian actor Hugh Jackman, who she claims is quite ‘hot’. Her wish came true when Hugh visited India for a FICCI conference and she met him at an awards ceremony there. She even got to perform a little dance jig with Hugh and Shahrukh Khan on stage.

“It was a memorable event for me and hopefully for them,” Vidya good-humouredly quipped.
Vidya who turned 34 recently, has admitted to dating UTV head honcho Siddharth Roy Kapoor, whom she sometimes refers to as ‘SRK’. Wedding bells however, are not to be heard in the near future, as VB wants to focus on the trajectory of her career. And even though she loves Melbourne and thinks of it as a romantic place, she was hesitant to commit that she would choose this city for her honeymoon. “I haven’t really thought about where I would like to go for my honeymoon,” she said with a smile.

Vidya Balan made her debut in the Bengali film, Bhalo Theko (2003), in a role which was much appreciated. She then made her debut in Bollywood in Parineeta (2006) and excelled in her role, winning the Award for Best Female Debutant. She appeared in the blockbuster Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006). In 2007, she acted in Mani Ratnam’s Guru as a girl suffering from multiple sclerosis, and in Salaam-e-Ishq, Eklavya: The Royal Guard, Heyy Babyy and Bhool Bhulaiyaa. All these films proved her versatility and her defiance to not fit into the glam doll mould of Bollywood actresses. Vidya then played the role of a young, independent, single mother struggling with her son’s progeria syndrome in Paa (2009). Her portrayal of the role stood apart from the usual Bollywood ‘ma’ roles and got her rave reviews from critics as well as the audience. True to her spirit of doing something different, Vidya then acted in Ishqiya (2010) and won accolades for the portrayal of the seductive widow.

Not only are her roles unconventional, so are her endorsements. Vidya has very recently agreed to become the Sanitation Ambassador for an Indian Government project called Nirmal Bharat Abhiyaan. The programme is aimed at spreading awareness about sanitation and cleanliness in the country. VB has agreed to campaign for two years, and will be involved in this restructured version of the Total Sanitation Campaign. I was curious to know how she agreed to the not-so-glamourous or conventionally safe cause that involved propagating hygiene and opposing open defecation.

“I got a call from the Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh to ask if I was interested. We get offers to espouse a lot of causes and I like to limit myself to something that I believe in,” explained Vidya. “I am a cleanliness freak myself and I know I will be able to push this cause strongly and genuinely. Sanitation in India is the need of the hour. Look at the infant mortality rates, they are shocking. The mortality rate is often affected by lack of sanitation.  It also impacts on other areas of life. There are still schools in India that do not have toilets. We will be working at various levels and very basic levels not just through ads, but also by visiting several places. It will involve a time commitment, but I strongly believe that the sanitation campaign needs to become a national obsession,” she added

I am not sure about the future of this campaign but Vidya Balan is currently enjoying a fair bit of international attention, judging by the turnout at the opening of her movie The Dirty Picture at Hoyts Melbourne recently. Fans from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Australia, Britain, Canada and India were present to experience the VB charm in person. And charming she was as she chatted, joked, autographed and photographed with her fans briefly, before being whisked away to another assignment. The fans were left to watch The Dirty Picture of a clean, candid and conscientious actress.

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After essaying challenging roles in The Dirty Picture and Kahaani, she will now play a simple housewife in her next After the resounding back-to-back success of ‘The Dirty Picture and ‘Kahaani’, Vidya Balan has signed her ‘No One Killed Jessica’ director Rajkumar Gupta’s ‘Ghanchakkar’.

Unlike her characters of Sabrina Lal (in No one Killed Jessica), S’ilk (in The Dirty Picture) and Vidya (in Kahaani), Balan plays a housewife in Ghanchakkar. “So far the roles that have defined Vidya’s career have all found her playing women placed in extraordinary circumstances. In Ghanchakkar she plays an average woman. Nothing dramatic like a murder or a mysterious disappearance happens to her in the script,” says a source close to the project.

“Both Rajkumar and Vidya feel that playing an ordinary woman is a special challenge for Vidya at this stage of her career when she has played a number of extraordinary characters. However, Gupta is being pressurised to modify and amplify Vidya’s part,” says the source.

“I had decided I wanted her for Ghanchakkar even when we were working together on Jessica. It is only now there’s a growing anxiety about Vidya’s positioning in the audiences’ perception,” says Gupta. Gupta is very clear that Ghanchakkar is not just a Balan film. “Emraan Hashmi has just delivered a string of hits. Ghanchakkar is not Vidya’s film alone. It is Emraan’s film in an equal measure. Vidya is fine with sharing the limelight,” he says.

The director will be shooting Ghanchakkar with Balan on the streets of Mumbai with hidden cameras, just as he had shot with Rajeev Khandelwal for Aamir. “This time I’ll be capturing another side to Mumbai, very different from Aamir. The metropolitan spaces occupied by Vidya in Ghanchakkar will be very different from what she occupied of Kolkata in Kahaani and Delhi in No One Killed Jessica,” he concludes.

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Actress Vidya Balan, who is riding high with the success of her latest films "The Dirty Picture" (2011), and "Kahaani" (2012), has finally spilled the beans about her personal life. or the first time the national award winning actress has publicly announced that she is dating Siddharth Roy Kapoor, the CEO of UTV Motion Pictures.

Referring to Siddharth, the 34-year-old actress told to PTI, "I will admit that I am dating him but not beyond that."However, Vidya also said that she is not in a hurry to get hitched. "I don't have any plans yet... and there is no engagement ring yet. It's a while away and I am in no hurry."

"But it's on my mind and there is a plan at some point. There is someone in my life," PTI quoted Vidya as saying. Vidya's film "The Dirty Picture" swept several awards in almost every awards ceremony. The film also earned her the most prestigious National Award (Full Story) . She also received the best actress filmfare award for her performance in the film.

The small budget film (Rs. 18 crore) which was released on Dec. 10, 2011 collected around Rs. 117 crore at box office. Very recently, the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation appointed Vidya as the brand ambassador of sanitation. (Full Story).

Meanwhile, item girl Rakhi Sawant has challenged Vidya Balan that she will outperform Vidya's Dirty Picture role in its Bengali remake. Speaking to a leading daily Rakhi said, Vidya had done nothing in "The Dirty Picture" and she will be surprised after seeing her (Rakhi) version of the film.

Stating that sari is meant to be taken off in films, not to be worn, Rakhi who is known for her own style of criticizing others added, "I am pretty excited to do bold scenes, bed scenes and the movie will also have long smooches ever. Main sabse zyaada kam kapde pehenungi."

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Melbourne: National award winning actress Vidya Balan has finally come out about her relationship with UTV head Siddharth Roy Kapoor but says she is in no hurry to get married to him. "I don't have any plans yet... and there is no engagement ring yet. It's a while away and I am in no hurry. But it's on my mind and there is a plan at some point. There is someone in my life," Vidya told PTI. When asked whether she is dating the UTV movies honcho, Vidya said, "I will admit that I am dating him but not beyond that." The 'Dirty Picture' star, 34, who has been recently appointed as a Bollywood Ambassador of Victoria, was here to promote the Indian Film Festival in Melbourne commencing from June 11.

Asked about her take on Rakhi Sawant's claim to appear as a better lead role in a Bengali version of 'The Dirty Picture', Vidya said, "I did my best and I am sure if she (Rakhi) brings her own originality to the portrayal of Silk, it will be great and I will be more than happy to watch her."Clad in beautiful white saree with black embroidered border, Vidya admitted that she was a bit apprehensive about how her parents would react to her portrayal of South siren Silk Smitha in the film. "I was finally relieved after my father came during the interval and said that he could only see Silk rather than Vidya. There is no bigger compliment for me than that," she said.

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