Vidya Balan - Woman on top!

Yet another real-life character gets modified in reel just for the actress

She may not have impressed the fashionistas too much with her personal style, but Vidya Balan has managed to wow the people who matter in her professional life.

How else can you explain B-Town's creative lot actually modifying real-life characters in reel to suit her image.

In Sanjay Gupta's Shootout at Wadala, Vidya is being wooed to essay the role of gangster Manya Surve's girlfriend.

While in reality the late don's moll is a widow and mother of two, her character in the movie will now not have any kids. Her widowhood status will also not be given any importance.

Explains Gupta, "We didn't want to stress too much on Surve's girl's past.

The fact that she was married at some point in her life before she met him is of no consequence to the story. We'll barely mention it in passing. And yes, Survey's girl will have no children in my film."

With the character suitably altered, one hopes that Vidya will finally agree to come on board to do her second biographical character in a row after playing Silk Smitha in Dirty Picture.

Incidentally, this role too was substantially altered for Vidya's sake.

Credit : Mid-Day.com

Vidya Balan 'comfortable with bold scenes'

Vidya Balan has said that she was comfortable shooting the bold scenes for her film The Dirty Picture.

The star said that her lack of concern was down to being in the "trusted hands" of director Milan Luthria.

According to IANS, Balan told reporters: "I have never enjoyed being a woman more than I did while shooting for The Dirty Picture. I wasn't uncomfortable doing bold scenes because I knew I was in trusted hands."

Balan portrays the rise and fall of South Indian screen siren Silk Smitha in a film which also stars Tusshar Kapoor, Emraan Hashmi and Naseeruddin Shah.

Speaking at the theatrical launch of the film, the actress said: "I have worked with Naseer before but this time it was easier… I was less nervous this time."

On working with Hashmi, with whom she has an intimate scene, she said: "I was wondering how it would be with Emraan, but it was fun."

The project has been made by the same team behind the 2010 release Once Upon A Time In Mumbai.

The Dirty Picture releases on December 2.

Vidya's strip tease in

Vidya Balan, who is portraying Southern siren Silk Smitha in Ekta Kapoor's The Dirty Picture, can be seen in a sensual avatar in a red hot sari. Tusshar Kapoor holds her sari by one end and Vidya swirls away from him stripping off her sari.

The film also stars Naseeruddin Shah and Emraan Hashmi. It's a biopic on sex icon Silk Smitha. The actor was found dead in her Chennai apartment in 1996.Vidya Balan, who is portraying Southern siren Silk Smitha in Ekta Kapoor's The Dirty Picture, can be seen in a sensual avatar in a red hot sari. Tusshar Kapoor holds her sari by one end and Vidya swirls away from him stripping off her sari.

The film, directed by Milan Luthria, will be released on December 2 which is Smitha's birth date. Ekta Kapoor (producer) refers to her as one of the muses in the film. Ekta told HT: "It's a beautiful coincidence since she is one of our muses, along with other Southern actors like Shakeela, Nylon Nandini and Polyester Padmini."

"My film is not inspired by any one of them, but is a reflection of an era when they used their sexuality to carve a niche for themselves in the male-dominated South film industry. Many frowned upon them, but they were survivors and their power over the masses cannot be denied," she added.

The Dirty Picture is touted to be Ekta's boldest film till date leaving behind Ragini MMS, Shor In The City and Love Sex Aur Dhokha.

Vidya-Tusshar passionate kiss

Nervous as hell about his first screen kiss it seems Tusshar Kapoor is not destined to kiss Vidya Balan for The Dirty Picture in a hurry. As per the script the torrid smooch between the couple is mandatory.

However when it came to actually shooting the kiss a series of circumstances have somehow aborted the proposed kiss. It started with the lack of rehearsals for the sequence.

The latest setback was a dragonfly attack in Hyderabad on location just when the long-due kiss was to be shot.

The much-discussed seduction sequence between Vidya Balan and Tusshar Kapoor was to be shot before Vidya Balan left for a brief holiday. And now everyone is wondering when the kiss would actually happen.

Says Tusshar, “Yeah, I don’t know why. The kiss with Vidya just hasn’t happened so far. I was very nervous about doing the intimate scenes.

The director Milan Luthria assured me Vidya and I would be comfortable in the intimate moments after rehearsals. But the rehearsals for the love scenes didn’t happen. We both got busy with other things. Then there was dragon-fly attack and we had to pack up abruptly. ”

Now Tusshar has suddenly signed a new film, Samir Karnik’s comedy about star-crossed Rajasthani-Punjabi lovers, played by Tusshar and Kulraj Randhawa which would now have to be accommodated into his Dirty Picture schedule, along with the sequel to Kya Kool Hain Hum.

So where does that leave the fugitive kiss?

Laughs Tusshar nervously, “Hopefully we’ll shot the kiss soon. If God and the dragonflies allow.

Vidya Balan to wear butt-pads for Smitha role?

Vidya Balan has reportedly been told to wear butt-pads to enhance her hips for the biopic of South Indian star Silk Smitha.

The actress is playing Smitha in Ekta Kapoor's upcoming Dirty Picture.

Since she has taken on the part, the star has reportedly been encouraged to put on weight to resemble the tragic Bollywood icon.

According to Mumbai Mirror, Balan will have to wear the cosmetic enhancers as production begins on May 30th.

She was recently told by director Milan Luthria that she needs to become more "comfortable" with her body for the role, as Smith was known for her easy on-screen sensuality.

Balan had confessed after signing up that she has reservations about playing Smitha, who died in September 1996 at the age of 35 after failing to become a producer.

Kapoor has said that she expects "unbelievable critical acclaim" for the picture and has also predicted that Balan will receive an award for her portrayal of Smitha.

Vidya Balan mistaken for Kim Kardashian

Bollywood star Vidya Balan has revealed that she was mistaken for Kim Kardashian on a recent trip to Australia.

The actress told Mumbai Mirror that the incident took place at a Melbourne gay club, where she was partying with friends on a night out.

According to the paper, a clubber at a venue in Melbourne's Commercial Road district approached the Hindi film star and stated: "I am gay, but you are really hot. By any chance, are you Kim Kardashian?"

The actor, who was recently advised to show more skin in her work, is reported to have not known how to react after being asked if she was the reality television star.

"I didn't know what to say, so I just smiled," said the 33-year-old.

The star recently had the chance to share the stage with actor Hugh Jackman at an industry event in Mumbai.

"I never thought I'd get the opportunity to shake a leg with him, Bollywood style," she commented.

Balan was involved in a doctored bikini image scandal last month after her head was superimposed onto the body of a model for a fake magazine cover.

Vidya Balan pledges support for Earth Hour 2011

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan has urged Indians not just to switch off lights during WWF's Earth Hour 2011 campaign, but to go beyond the hour and protect the earth from the issue of climate change.

The Earth Hour will be celebrated Saturday at 8.30 p.m.

"As the effects of climate change become more prevalent and more powerful, it is up to each one of us to take ownership of our collective future. WWF's Earth Hour has inspired millions across the globe and has created mass awareness on the colossal issue of climate change. It is inspiring and encouraging to see how a step as simple as switching off lights for an hour can unite the entire world towards a single cause. I too switched off lights last year, and will do so this year as well," Vidya said in a press statement.

The critically acclaimed actress, also added a plus sign to the '60' logo of Earth Hour. The plus signifies a commitment to add a positive act in everyday life to benefit the environment beyond just the 60 minutes.

"For Earth Hour 2011, I pledge to not just switch off but to go beyond the hour. To be mindful of conserving resources, everyday, not just for an hour. From this year on, I pledge to use energy smartly. And urge you to do so as well.

"Each one of us has the power to make a difference. We just need to be conscious of it and make wise choices. When each of us take simple steps, together these actions add up. I am supporting the fight against climate change by adopting some of these steps. It's time you do too," she added.

Earth Hour 2011 is expected to be a culmination of over one billion people around the globe, in more than six thousand cities across 130 countries worldwide.

Vidya Balan Unapologetic

Vidya Balan sets the tone for a serious interview with her outfit - a sobre coloured sabya, little make up and thick glasses.

She talks about her film No One Killed Jessica and how the big names in the industry attended the premiere. She is candid in admitting that she pours all her resources into the characters and she does all the necessary homework before she reaches the sets.

When all her contemporaries are happiest essaying parts they can relate to and rejecting parts that's just not them, Vidya revels in playing characters that are so removed from who she is that there is none of her on screen.

She sees no fun in Vidya playing Vidya. That explains why this well-behaved Iyer girl agreed to play the porn star Silk Smitha in Dirty Picture.

With No One Killed Jessica already getting a positive buzz from the industry, it seems the actress is all set to begin 2011 on a high.

Nobody cares in Delhi

Vidya Balan has discovered a new side to Delhi. During her extensive shoot in the capital for "No One Killed Jessica", the Bollywood star walked through crowded streets and markets, even in old Delhi, and was quite surprised to find that people did not stop to watch the shooting. Delhiwallahs are as busy as Mumbaikars, the actress said.

"I always thought Delhi was a bit more relaxed than Mumbai where nobody walks aaram se (in a relaxed way). But through my walks in Delhi during the shoot of 'No One Killed Jessica', I realised that people don't have time to look at you. Life is as fast-paced here as in Mumbai, " Vidya told.

The 32-year-old essays the role of Sabrina Lall in the film, based on the murder case of model Jessica Lall, who was shot dead by Manu Sharma in 1999. For many scenes, Vidya had to shoot in perennially crowded areas like Connaught Place and Bhikaji Cama Place in the capital, but says she was surprised that no one waited to see the shooting, unlike earlier times.

"I give complete leeway to the fact that I was dressed differently - very plain and simply. I saw a mad rush of people in CP and Bhikaji Cama, but people didn't have time to stop and look at us. I had always heard that Mumbai is more used to stars and Delhi isn't used to stars, but even here, no one cared! This is one new side of Delhi that I got to explore, " she added.

Vidya spent a-month-and-a-half shooting in Delhi for the Rajkumar Gupta film, and says the experience was heart-warming. The film releases Friday.

"I actually walked through the streets of Delhi for the film. It's been a different and heart-warming experience because it wasn't like just shooting in one location. I had to walk through streets wearing absolutely plain clothes and shoot with hidden cameras to look like one of the people in the crowd.

"I won't be able to specify the streets I traversed, but I know I have been through both - Puraani Dilli and New Delhi. I have really explored Delhi like I could never have done alone and I don't think any Delhiite has explored Delhi the way I did during this shoot, " she said, sounding overwhelmed.

The actress who hails from Tamil Nadu loves Delhi's winter.

"It always feels so good to be back in Delhi, especially at this time of the year. It's so charming... we don't have this kind of weather in Mumbai. The streets are so much calmer during these days than the rest of the year. So I really like it."

Vidya Balan 'won't quit for marriage'

Vidya Balan has said that she refuses to give up acting when she gets married, unlike some other Bollywood actresses.

The 32-year-old star of upcoming film No One Killed Jessica said that, regardless of her relationship status, she has no plans to leave the industry.

"Acting is a part of who I am. I don't think I will remotely give it up for anything or anyone," Balan told IANS.

The actress said the idea that a woman has to give up her career after marriage is an old-fashioned one.

"In our profession, in the earlier days, the moment you got married, you ceased to be an object of desire, which is why a lot of actresses retired," she said. "Today, no longer."

Praising women who go back to work after having children, Balan added: "I think today women continue to work at every age. It's fantastic."

Vidya Balan Becomes The Hot Choice For Portraying Real Life Characters!

Vidya Balan, who debuted in Bollywood by portraying a very docile and sober character in Parineeta, has become a favorite choice for the filmmakers these days when it comes to playing a real life character.

Recently, Vidya has played the character of Sabrina Lall, the elder sister of Delhi based Jessica Lall, who was murdered on April 29, 1999 in the movie No One Killed Jessica. The 32-year-old actress is also set to play the South actress Silk Smitha's character in Milan Luthria directed film 'A Dirty Picture'. Vidya will be playing the hot seductive actress Smitha, who acted in more than 200 films in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi.

Now, the latest reports suggest that the simple and sweet looking Vidya has now got the offer to play the yesteryear classic Bollywood beauty Madhubala, who died of serious illness at only 36 years of age.

Everyone is aware of the fact that dancing diva Madhuri Dixit is often considered to be the best actress to play Madhubala. It is because of her close similarity with the actress and her dancing talent. However, Madhuri has now almost left Bollywood and she has become 43! So, the makers have probably settled on Vidya Balan, who is the most suitable actress to play Madhubala from this generation and age is also not a bar in her case.

Earlier in 2009, there was a buzz that director Shashanka Ghosh is planning a film based on the love story of Kishore Kumar and Madhubala. He was supposed to have considered Balan's name for playing Madhubala whereas Aamir Khan was supposed to play the legendary singer Kishore Kumar.

Moreover, she has got the experience of playing real life characters so people can easily identify with her in such roles. We hope she takes up the challenging job and after so many years we can revive the memories of Madhubala!

Balan, Ali Khan 'reunite on new project'

Vidya Balan is to work on a new production alongside Saif Ali Khan.

Balan, who won critical acclaim for her work opposite the actor in Parineeta, will feature with Khan in a new project, reports NDTV.

A source revealed that the two stars would share screen space in Dream Sequence: "Initially, Deepika Padukone was to do the role. The casting of the duo together after Love Aaj Kal had its appeal.

"But the actress begged off when she heard that the chote nawab was having second thoughts and that Abhay Deol would fill in for him."
The project is to release under Balaji Motion pictures and will be directed by Vishal Bhardwaj.

"The actress, director and producer are keen to work together in this film and are currently working on the dates, " added the source.

Mariah Carey 'enjoyed working with mother'

Mariah Carey has described the "lovely experience" of working with her mother on her latest album, and hopes to record more material with her in the future.

Patricia Carey - who usually performs opera - recorded vocals on her daughter's festive compilation Merry Christmas II You, on the tracks 'O Come All Ye Faithful' and 'Halleluiah Chorus'.

Mariah revealed to People that there may be more duets between the pair in the future: "Many people know that my mother is a trained opera singer, so I guess it was only a matter of time before we both got onto a record together.

"It was a lovely experience being in the studio together, and I'm very happy that I have this documented for the rest of my life."

Guess What Is Vidya Balan's Secret Passion!

Guess what is Bollywood actress Vidya Balan's hobby? Well it is a little unusual we agree, but nevertheless true to the actress' tastes.

After suffering much criticism for sporting western outfits in a couple of films, Vidya Balan is back to wearing what she looks best in, the traditional Indian outfit, the sari. And now we hear that collecting saris is her secret passion. Reports claim that the Indian femme fatale has a collection of saris which can take any Indian woman by surprise. Yes, Vidya Balan currently owns more than 500 pieces of the traditional Indian drape.

Her sari collection comprises of a variety of fabrics and the actress says that she tries to take the best possible care of each piece of sari that is currently inside her wardrobe, washing and preserving them well. And if you thought that the only designer's saris that the actress likes sporting is her favorite Sabyasachi Mukherjee, think again. Vidya Balan has said in an interview that it is not only the Kolkata man, but also several other designers' saris that she has purchased to add to her existing collection of saris.

One question we would like to ask Vidya is why does she choose to stick to only Sabyasachi Mukherjee when it comes to sporting a sari at an event. We would advise her to try some other designers too!

Balan admits to having breakdown on set

Vidya Balan has revealed that she had a nervous breakdown on the set of her latest film.

The actress had an outburst during the shooting of No One Killed Jessica, The Times of India has reported.

She told the paper: "Yes, it happened a few days ago, and it scared the hell out of me and everyone in the unit.

"I don't know what happened to me. I just broke down. It was work pressure. In the past three months I didn't have a day's respite. It was crazy."

It was recently reported that Balan fell out with No One Killed Jessica co-star Rani Mukherjee on set.

Mukherjee and Balan 'fall out on new film'

Rani Mukherjee and Vidya Balan are reported to have fallen out.
According to The Times of India, the actresses did not speak to each other during the making of No One Killed Jessica.

A source for the newspaper revealed: "Rani and Vidya have shot most of their scenes together. There were times when they were the only actors on the sets but still they would not sit and chat after the director called cut.

"Not even the breaks on the sets inspired them to interact with each other or discuss their scenes."

It has been suggested that Bunty Aur Bably actress Mukherjee remained distant from her younger co-star throughout the making of the film in Delhi.

"Rani had this aura around her of being the senior actress. She has been in the industry for much longer than Vidya and due to her attitude she seems very unapproachable to her co-stars," added the source.

Ishqiya to be screened at Cairo film fest

Acclaimed film Ishqiya has been chosen to be screened at the 34th Cairo International Film Festival to be held on Nov 30-Dec 9.

The dark drama, co-produced by Vishal Bharadwaj and Shemaroo Entertainment, features Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi in key roles.

Set in eastern Uttar Pradesh, it is a tale of romance between individuals caught in a web of crime, suspense, passion and deceit. The film received a warm response in India, and is now also reaching out to international audiences.

"We are getting an overwhelming response from people worldwide. The film has already participated in around five international film festivals and is appreciated by all," Hiren Gada, director, Shemaroo Entertainment, said in a press statement.

"Ishqiya", debut directed by Abhishek Chaubey, has earlier been showcased at various film festivals, including the Munich Film Festival, Melbourne Film Festival as well as the Indian Film Festival of London.

Vidya’s crash course in belly dancing

Actress Vidya Balan, who is doing her first ever special dance number in Santosh Sivan’s movie Urmi, is attempting to pull off belly dancing. We have learnt through sources close to the actor that she has hired a belly dancing instructor who is giving her a crash course in the dance genre.

We have also heard that Vidya is putting in at least five hours a day to master the dance form before she goes ahead with the shoot. “Many people in Bollywood who do particularly difficult dance sequences like belly dancing have been caught off guard while shooting and the result on screen has been heavily criticised because they did it without mastering the art.

We all know that Vidya is a perfectionist and her awards and accolades speak for itself. The minute she heard that she is going to do a belly dancing act, she got herself a trainer to teach her the tricks of the dance form. It will be interesting to see Vidya do belly dancing,” says an informer close to the star. We have also learnt that Santosh has been so impressed with Vidya’s dedication that from doing just an dance number, she will now be doing a cameo, too.

Vidya Balan do a voluptuous Silk Smitha

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan is going to enact the late South Indian sensation Silk Smitha. Now, if everything goes well, she will be accompanied by another Bollywood star Ajay Devgn in this forthcoming film, which deals with Smitha's life.

The movie is being made by television queen Ekta kapoor's Balaji telefilms. The officials from the production house are likely to discuss with Ajay on this topic very soon. Ajay has recently worked with Balaji in his latest release Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai.

A sourced was quoted saying that Ajay is supposed to essay the role of a renowned filmmaker, who was involved with the actress Silk Smitha in her glory days. The source added the movie won't deal with the entire life of Silk Smitha, rather it will concentrate more on her relationships.

However, Vidya is also yet to sign the papers to finalize her inclusion in this project. But the director Milan Luthria is very much interested to sign Vidya to play the role.

The source further said that a Malyalam girl with a very Indian type of body is required for this role and Vidya fits the bill perfectly. If both the actors sign the project, it will be their second film together. The first was Halla Bol.

Vidya Balan to do an Uma Thurman in Kill Bill Remake

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan is not in the rat race to become no. 1 in the industry, but she has her own niche and a selected number of fans too.

The actress has now impressed the director Sujoy Ghosh of Jhankaar Beats fame and the director has reportedly signed the talented actress in the lead role of his next film, which will be a remake of Hollywood flick Kill Bill.

Vidya will reprise the role played by Hollywood actress Uma Thurman. So, it will be yet another path breaking role for Vidya Balan, who has created history when she played mother to Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in Paa.

Our reporter found out that Sujoy's movie is the remake of top Hollywood revenge drama Kill Bill. Vidya will be seen in a role that is close to that played by Uma Thurman. Our source added that the director found Vidya appropriate to play the character of a woman, who is betrayed by the people she trusts and then how she takes revenge from them.

This will be a challenging role for Vidya as she was never seen performing bold stunts on screen earlier. The source further said that it will be the first action film of Vidya, who is usually seen in romantic roles.

Vidya is also very excited to perform those brave stunts and action sequences and she is looking forwards to work with a brilliant director like Sujoy Ghosh, the source said.

Hopefully, Vidya succeeds to impress the audience with her stunts acts as she has done with her romantic performances earlier!

Vidya Balan clarifies film rumours

Vidya Balan has denied that she was replaced in Sanjay Dutt's home production Rascals.

The actress stated that reports she was replaced by Kangna Ranaut are untrue, the Hindustan Times reports.

"How can I be replaced when I was never in the film? I'm very fond of Sanju and had he asked, I would have happily done his film," said Balan.

The star confirmed that she was approached for the sequel to Dhamaal, but was unable to be a part of it.

"Director Indra Kumar has made some memorable films and hopefully and he'll come to me with a Beta or Raja soon," she said.

Balan has recently completed work on No One Killed Jessica with Rani Mukerji.