| If there’s anyone who can be honest to the | | | | had a sugar daddy in the industry. Recounting the |
| point it hurts, and that too in Bollywood, it’s | | | | start of her journey, she recalls: “The first |
| Vidya Balan. | | | | opportunity I got allowed me to be my self in |
| Katrina Kaif Crushed Hrithik Roshan’s Hope, | | | | television as it was all simple. That’s when I |
| bollywood gossip news, bollywood gossips, bollywood | | | | realised what is to be a woman. I enjoyed playing |
| gossips and news, bollywood latest gossip, gossips | | | | the mother of a 5-year-old kid in an ad film.” The |
| bollywood only at videosdesi. | | | | first challenge in her journey on to the big screen |
| Few in tinsel town, where big money is spent to | | | | came when she turned down Anurag Basu’s |
| carefully cultivate an image both on and off screen. | | | | offer of a lead role in a serial. “When I refused |
| This Aiyar bared her soul to a packed house during | | | | saying I really wanted in the movies he said |
| the second edition of the India Today Woman | | | | ‘Roz, Roz Shah Rukh paida nahi hota’.” |
| Summit in Mumbai. | | | | Well Basu may now eat humble pie because roz roz |
| She recounted her journey of having lost her way in | | | | Vidya Balan bhi nahin paida hoti. |
| the big bad world of films and only to rediscover | | | | It was the first motivation that came in the form of |
| herself. | | | | a rebuke or a challenge. “I wanted to disprove |
| And need we add, her rediscovery has sent the cash | | | | him. Now I am glad that he did as it motivated me to |
| registers ringing with Paa and Ishquiya. | | | | pursue what I really wanted. When my detractors |
| Till now the Balan girl has earned herself many | | | | kept saying things about me I was only strengthened |
| detractors with her honesty but this time on the | | | | to disprove them and the only thing I had was my |
| firing line was none other than her self. | | | | faith.” |
| At the dinner keynote address titled “New | | | | From hindsight, she’s glad about all the projects |
| Beginnings, New Frontiers,” Balan. | | | | in the South that did not materialize even though she |
| In her trademark style spoke candidly about her | | | | was termed as jinxed. “I am happy now that |
| stellar beginning in films only to lose the plot later. | | | | those films never took off as they portrayed |
| Recounting her journey from being losing herself to | | | | women as ‘floozies’ and made them look |
| finding herself again she said: “Little achievements | | | | like apologies. I was inspired by yesteryear actors |
| in my life are the product of choices I have made. | | | | and wanted to be like them,” she adds. |
| New beginnings and new frontiers for me was about | | | | With Parineeta, her life changed overnight as her |
| losing perspective, then gaining it and then becoming | | | | thirst as an actor got quenched, but then |
| self assured. Every moment gives us a new beginning | | | | complacency set in and along with it confusion. “I |
| to conquer new frontiers.” | | | | lost perspective and everything from clothes to what |
| Social pressure often puts women (and their clothes) | | | | I stood for reflected my state of mind. I was almost |
| under a microscope, but it’s the choices that we | | | | giving up. Balki said that actors take a lifetime to |
| make that define who we are. This comes from a | | | | figure out their needs,” she says. |
| woman who started her career with a dream debut | | | | And that’s everything started going wrong |
| in Parineeta, but became only a shade of the real her | | | | because she was trying very hard to be something |
| when she started attempting to ape some of the | | | | she was not. That’s when she decided to take |
| glamorous bimbettes in Bollywood. She did her best | | | | step back and words of wisdom came from her |
| to fight the behenji image, but clearly that’s | | | | sister, who told her: “It’s a constant struggle |
| what is raking in the moolah. “People used to tell | | | | to be someone else, it’s easiest to be |
| me don’t go to book readings as it will seem | | | | yourself.” Having tried to toe the line, Balan has |
| pseudo-intellectual. And I said to myself, but I love | | | | come a full circle. “All the bad press I got as |
| reading.” It’s taken her a lot to break the | | | | people were rejecting my attempt at being who I |
| mould and come out tops. | | | | was not. Then I got new opportunities, which helped |
| But then she’s never had it easy as she never | | | | me conquer new frontiers,” she says with pride. |
