 There's something about Vidya
Her character in her debut film was called Lolita. Maybe that’s why men, particularly those between 25 and 40, find Vidya Balan irresistible. Or perhaps her sex appeal has less to with the coincidental reference to Nabokov’s character and the two men tussling over her in Parineeta, and more to do with the fact that when you think of Vidya Balan, the template of a Bollywood heroine does not come to mind.
There is something about Vidya. Something that makes men turn into little boys when they see her; that makes them lap up her interviews in film glossies and refer to her as "a hottie". This, despite the conservative dress sense that concurs with her Tam-Bram upbringing. Director Nikhil Advani feels she does not need to show skin because "men don’t want to have a one night stand with her, they want to fall in love with her."
The Real Thing
We are on the sets of Advani’s Salaam-e-Ishq. Balan is in her van, her hair in rollers, minus make-up, her feet in Osho chappals (the ones you get at Pune’s Koregaon Park), curled up in her plastic chair.
It is heartening to see an actress who is currently on the cover of all the leading magazines tuck into kachori and batata wada, yet maintain an attractive and curvaceous figure. (You can almost see the men swoon.) An assistant director walks in to tell her the shot is almost ready. His cheeky smile suggests that he is almost prepared for the open flirting that will follow.
"I have to sit with my feet up," she says, after the AD has left. "Even on flights and in restaurants. It’s a manufacturing defect," she adds and bursts into a throaty, infectious laugh.
Any other quirks? "I am a cleanliness freak," she confesses and as if to prove it, she gets up and straightens the drapes and sheets. "I am a minimalist. I don’t have many clothes or accessories. I like things to be in their place and have to be able to shut my eyes and pick things up."
Hot And Sweet
Although she has had only two releases and is working on five other films, one feels Balan is knocking on the door of the A-list. That might have something to do with the direc tors she is working with – Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Nikhil Advani, Rajkumar Hirani, Mani Ratnam, Rajkumar Santoshi – and the men she has won over on-screen (Saif Ali Khan, Sanjay Dutt, John Abraham, Ajay Devgan).
She swept the awards in the best newcomer category across all the major awards shows last year for Parineeta, and added romance to gangster Munna’s life with her signature ‘Good Morning Mumbai’ in Lage Raho Munnabhai. She has been described as "the reinvented Indian heroine", and has been on the covers of magazines like Verve and Marie Claire (not to mention Brunch) in the same month. She defies all definitions of a sex symbol in the conventional Bollywood sense, yet Advani describes her as intoxicating, her friends say she has an unspoken appeal that redefines ‘sexy’, and normally controlled men fawn over her pictures in the glossies.
Tell Balan this and she is stunned. "No! No one has ever said that me. To me ‘sexy’ means Jennifer Aniston. A true sex symbol is someone who can stand naked and you still would not commodify her. It’s an attitude and the way you carry yourself," she says, stuttering in amazement at the tag of the new ‘it’ girl. "I have heard people describe me as sensuous, but sex symbol is very physical and I think I have qualities beyond that. I think if you can be fully clothed and use your eyes and body language to exude sensuality, that is completely sexy." If not the physical, then where does Balan think her appeal comes from? "Conversation, adas (nuances), being myself, a state of mind," she replies.
In spite of her popularity and success, Balan remains single. "Since I’ve been in the film industry, I’ve been single. It’s not that there isn’t time. There’s always time and space for romance. But when it happens one makes time." She pauses to pull off the laundry tags dangling from the curtains that have been irking her for a while. What qualities is she looking for in her ideal partner? "I hope he is as particular about cleanliness as I am," she replies, with that throaty laugh. "Also, mutual respect. We have to enjoy being together. I don’t need a Harvard Business School product who’s over 30, tall, dark and handsome."
 Moving On Up
Balan lives in Chembur, Mumbai, with her parents. Her father is vice president, corporate services, at ETC and her mother is a homemaker. Com ing from Palaghat, they speak a mix of Tamil and Malyalam at home. Her sister and brother-in-law are both in advertising. In her spare time, this St Xavier’s College sociology graduate with an MA in sociology from Mumbai University likes to read, listen to music, watch movies and "be with my people". Her people would include her family and school and college friends. "I am a clinger. I like to maintain my relations," she says.
Acting preceded modelling. Balan’s first stint with television happened at the age of 16, modelling happened a year later, and theatre and television set the foundation for film. Her one-and-a-half year stint as Radhika in Hum Paanch got her blacklisted at Xavier’s.
"It took a week every month, so I had to choose between acting and college. But there was no contest. After all we are a South Indian, academic family," she smiles. Advertising assignments followed. "My folks were supportive as they knew this was what I wanted to do, but my mother did express concern to my father, saying: what if she wants to do films? I didn’t make an effort to get into films, but when I was recommended for a film with Mohanlal, I went to the meeting. And my mother and sister accompanied me." We think of Parineeta as Balan’s debut, but her tryst with films began much before. "That film never got completed," she says, referring to the Mohanlal film, and adds: "Nei ther of my first two Malyalam films got completed, and I walked out of the third, a Tamil film, because I was not comfortable. I was replaced in another Tamil film with the excuse that I could not act. They made me feel ugly to the point where I was scared to look in the mirror. In retrospect I thank God, and by God’s grace today the going is good."
The ‘IT’ Girl
Friends, family and perseverance helped her overcome rejection. "Rejection is not easy to deal with," she says, as a matter of fact. "My parents were supportive and just wanted me to do what made me happy. My friends encouraged me, saying the clouds would pass, and my spirituality kept me calm." Three years later, she signed Parineeta. "When I spoke to my folks they said they wanted me to do this so that I would feel better. My father said, ‘If you complete one film and it releases, I will be at peace.’ Parineeta made him very happy," she says.Balan’s aspiration was not to be a film actress per se, but just to act. "With Parineeta I was happy to finally be doing what I enjoy. Munnabhai was a bonus and every film thereafter is a bonus." Her career is on a fast track and any doubts about her looks seem dispelled. |
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She’s also gradually ticking off names from the wish list of filmmakers in her "little red book". This is a list of "people I dreamt of work ing with and when you do, it becomes real." She is referring to Mani Ratnam, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Santoshi, Nikhil Advani, Priyadarshan, Rituparno Ghosh and Pradeep Sarkar.
As fame and fortune appear ready to befriend her, does she feel it is possible to maintain her values and keep her feet on the ground? "If your values are ingrained in you, then there is no question of them changing. Humanity and warmth are a given. It is difficult to retain values and humanity because of pressures and how people view you. But I am someone who guards my space ferociously. And I will be myself – take it or leave it." Her hair is now set, her make-up in place, and she is waiting for this interview to end to get into costume. Before we part, one cannot resist asking if she would consider doing an item number.
"People like Ash (Aishwarya Rai) have brought a certain dignity to them, with songs like Kajra Re, which I would love to do but don’t know if I could pull off," she says. "I’d love to do one of those classy latka-jhatka numbers. But I don’t think anyone would offer me an item number – and I am happy they are not." |
