Vidya Balan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vidya Balan
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Vidya in 2024
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| Born | 1 January 1979 Bombay, Maharashtra, India
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| Alma mater | University of Mumbai |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1995–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Siddharth Roy Kapur (m. 2012)
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| Awards | Full list |
| Honours | Padma Shri (2014) |
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Vidya Balan (born 1 January 1979) is a famous Indian actress. She is known for playing strong women in her movies, which changed how women were shown in Hindi cinema. She has won many awards, including a National Film Award and seven Filmfare Awards. In 2014, the Government of India gave her the Padma Shri, which is a high honor.
Vidya wanted to be an actress from a young age. Her first acting role was in the TV show Hum Paanch in 1995. While studying at the University of Mumbai, she tried many times to start a film career. She also appeared in TV ads and music videos.
Her first movie was the Bengali film Bhalo Theko (2003). She then got praise for her first Hindi movie, Parineeta (2005). After that, she starred in successful films like Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006) and Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007).
Vidya became a well-known actress by playing strong women in five successful movies. These included Paa (2009), Ishqiya (2010), No One Killed Jessica (2011), Kahaani (2012), and The Dirty Picture (2011). She won the National Film Award for Best Actress for The Dirty Picture. After a period when her movies were not as successful, Vidya made a comeback. She played cheerful women who balanced work and family in Tumhari Sulu (2017) and Mission Mangal (2019). She also starred in films released on Amazon Prime Video like Shakuntala Devi (2020) and Sherni (2021). Her most successful movie to date is the comedy horror film Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (2024).
Vidya also helps with good causes and supports women's rights. She is a member of the Indian Central Board of Film Certification, which approves movies. She has also hosted a radio show. Early in her career, people sometimes talked about her weight and clothes. But later, she was praised for being unique. Vidya is married to film producer Siddharth Roy Kapur.
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Early Life and Career Start
Vidya Balan was born on January 1, 1979, in Bombay (now Mumbai). She grew up in a Tamil Brahmin family. Her father, P. R. Balan, worked for a cable company. Her mother, Saraswathy Balan, was a homemaker. Vidya says they speak a mix of Tamil and Malayalam at home. Her older sister, Priya Balan, works in advertising. The actress Priyamani is her second cousin.
Vidya grew up in Chembur, a neighborhood in Mumbai. She went to St. Anthony Girls' High School. From a young age, she dreamed of becoming an actress. She was inspired by actors like Shabana Azmi and Madhuri Dixit. When she was 16, she acted in the first season of the TV show Hum Paanch. She played Radhika, a teenager who wore glasses.
After the show ended, Vidya wanted to focus on a film career. Her parents supported her but wanted her to finish her education first. She went to St. Xavier's College to study sociology. Later, she earned a college degree from the University of Mumbai.
Challenges in Starting Her Film Career
While in college, Vidya was chosen for a Malayalam film called Chakram. She was supposed to act opposite Mohanlal. She also signed up for 12 other Malayalam films. However, Chakram was stopped due to problems. Some people blamed Vidya, calling her "bad luck," and she was replaced in other films.
She then tried to work in Tamil cinema. In 2001, she was cast in Run. But she was later replaced by another actress. She was also replaced in two other Tamil films. After these difficulties, Vidya appeared in about 60 TV commercials and music videos. Many of these were directed by Pradeep Sarkar.
Film Career Highlights
Vidya's first movie was the Bengali film Bhalo Theko (2003). She played Aanandi, a young woman remembering her past. She loved working in Bengali cinema. She won an Anandalok Purashkar for Best Actress for her role.
Early Success and Recognition
Vidya then auditioned for the Hindi film Parineeta (2005). The producer first wanted a more famous actress. But Vidya worked hard for six months and got the part. The movie was about a love story. Critics praised Vidya's acting. One critic called her an "acting revelation." She won the Best Female Debut and was nominated for Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards.
Vidya then starred with Sanjay Dutt in the comedy Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006). She played a radio jockey and the main character's love interest. She met with real radio hosts to prepare for the role. This movie was very successful, earning a lot of money.
In 2007, Vidya played a supporting role in Mani Ratnam's drama Guru. She wanted to work with the director. Her next two roles were small parts in Salaam-e-Ishq and Eklavya: The Royal Guard. She said these roles helped her learn. Both films did not do well at the box office.
Later in 2007, Vidya starred in the comedy Heyy Babyy. This was her first time playing a glamorous, Western-style role. Her look in the film was not well-received. She then worked with Akshay Kumar again in Bhool Bhulaiyaa. This was a comedy horror film. Vidya played a woman with a special condition. She prepared by staying alone for three days. She also learned kathak dancing. Critics praised her performance. Both Heyy Babyy and Bhool Bhulaiyaa were among the most successful Hindi films that year.
In 2008, Vidya played a supporting role in Halla Bol. She then took on another glamorous role in Kismat Konnection. She found it hard to dance with her co-star. Critics did not like her look or her performance in this film. Both movies did not do well. Vidya later said that glamorous roles did not suit her.
Becoming a Leading Actress
Vidya's career improved in 2009 with the comedy-drama Paa. She played a single mother whose son had a rare disease. She was unsure if she could play a mother to Amitabh Bachchan, who is much older than her. But after a test, she was convinced. Critics praised her performance. Paa was a successful movie. Vidya won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for this role. She said the film's success gave her confidence.
Vidya's next role was in Ishqiya (2010). She played a clever widow from a village. This was a different kind of role for her. She learned the local language for the part. She won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for her work.
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The year 2011 was very important for Vidya. She starred in two successful films led by women. In No One Killed Jessica, a thriller, Vidya played Sabrina. She was a real-life person who sought justice for her sister's murder. Vidya wore simple clothes for the role. She also spoke positively about working with Rani Mukerji. Critics praised Vidya's ability to show emotions. She earned another Filmfare nomination for Best Actress.
In The Dirty Picture (2011), Vidya played a famous Indian actress. This role helped change how heroines were seen in Hindi films. Vidya gained weight for the part. Critics called her performance "extraordinary" and "gutsy." The Dirty Picture became one of the highest-earning female-led films in Hindi cinema. Vidya won another Filmfare Award and the National Film Award for Best Actress.
She then starred in the thriller Kahaani (2012). The film was set in Kolkata during a festival. Vidya played a pregnant woman looking for her missing husband. The movie was filmed on the streets of Kolkata. Kahaani was also a big success. Vidya won her third Best Actress Award at Filmfare for this film.
Career Challenges and Comeback
After being a jury member at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, Vidya starred in Ghanchakkar (2013). She played a lively Punjabi woman. Critics did not like her character. Vidya also voiced Draupadi in the animation film Mahabharat.
In 2014, she starred in Shaadi Ke Side Effects, a romantic comedy. Critics liked her chemistry with Farhan Akhtar, but not the movie itself. She then played a detective in Bobby Jasoos. She wore 12 different disguises for the role. Critics liked Vidya's acting but not the film's story. All these films were not successful. Vidya said she felt "devastated" by this.
Her movies continued to struggle with Hamari Adhuri Kahani (2015). The next year, she played a police officer in Te3n (2016). She liked playing a woman who earned respect. Critics liked Vidya's acting. She also played actress Geeta Bali in a Marathi film. People wondered if Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh (2016) would help her career. It was not as successful as the first Kahaani, but Vidya was nominated for Best Actress at Filmfare.
Vidya then played Sulu, a cheerful housewife who became a talk radio host, in Tumhari Sulu. She enjoyed playing a funny role. She used her experience from Lage Raho Munna Bhai. Critics praised Vidya's performance. She won her fourth Filmfare Award for Best Actress. This film was Vidya's first big success since 2012. She said it boosted her confidence.
In 2019, Vidya started working in South Indian cinema. She appeared in two Telugu films about an actor-politician. Both films did not do well. She also had a small role in the Tamil drama Nerkonda Paarvai. This film was very successful. Vidya then worked with Akshay Kumar again in Mission Mangal. The movie was about India's mission to Mars. She liked playing a scientist who balanced work and family. Critics praised her performance. Mission Mangal became her highest-earning film.
Recent Work and Streaming Films
Vidya produced her first short film, Natkhat (2020). It was about a mother teaching her son about equality. The film was shown online. She then played the famous mental calculator Shakuntala Devi in a movie about her life. Due to the pandemic, the film was released on Amazon Prime Video. Critics praised Vidya's performance. She received two more Filmfare nominations for it.
In 2021, Vidya starred in Sherni. She played an Indian Forest Service officer tracking a tigress. She met with real forest officers to prepare. Critics praised her calm performance. She won another Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress. Vidya then starred with Shefali Shah in the thriller Jalsa. This was her third film released on Amazon Prime Video. She played a journalist involved in an accident. Critics said Vidya and Shah's acting made the movie better.
Vidya led the cast in the murder mystery Neeyat (2023). This was her first movie to be released in theaters since 2019. She said her character was a unique detective. The film did not do well at the box office. In 2024, Vidya and Pratik Gandhi played a married couple in Do Aur Do Pyaar. The movie received good reviews but did not attract many viewers.
Vidya agreed to star in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (2024) because she wanted to work with Madhuri Dixit. Critics felt that both Vidya and Dixit were not used enough in the film. However, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 was a huge commercial success. It became Vidya's highest-grossing film and one of the most successful Hindi films of 2024.
Personal Life and Other Work
The media has often guessed about Vidya's relationships with her co-actors. But she has always said these reports were not true. In 2009, Vidya talked about a past relationship where she faced comments about her weight. She said it was important to leave that relationship.
In May 2012, Vidya announced she was dating Siddharth Roy Kapur. He is the CEO of UTV Motion Pictures. On December 14, 2012, they got married in a private ceremony in Bandra, Mumbai.
Vidya has learned Carnatic music. She also briefly studied Bharatnatyam and Kathak dance forms. She is a vegetarian. She was named "India's hottest vegetarian" by PETA in 2011 and 2012. Her weight changes have been talked about a lot in the media.
In March 2011, Vidya supported World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour campaign in India. She also worked for the cause of good nutrition in India for a group called Child In Need Institute (CINI). In September 2012, Vidya visited a village to help promote children's education and women's rights. For her work to help women, Vidya received an award called the Prabha Khaitan Puraskar 2012. She was the youngest person to get this award.
In 2012, she became the first ambassador for India's sanitation program. This program was later renamed the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Since then, she has been part of TV and radio campaigns to encourage building and using toilets.
In 2013, Vidya was the grand marshal for the India Day parade in New York City. That same year, she launched a learning platform for children in a village in Uttar Pradesh. Also in 2013, Vidya hosted a TV special about women's empowerment called No More Kamzor. On International Women's Day in 2015, Vidya wrote an article about issues faced by women in India. In August 2017, Vidya became a member of the Indian Central Board of Film Certification. In 2019, she hosted a radio show called "Dhun Badal Ke Toh Dekho" with BIG FM 92.7.
Awards and Recognition
Vidya Balan has won many film awards. These include a National Film Award for Best Actress for The Dirty Picture (2011). She has also won seven Filmfare Awards:
- Best Female Debut for Parineeta (2005)
- Best Actress for Paa (2009), The Dirty Picture (2011), Kahaani (2012), and Tumhari Sulu (2017)
- Best Actress (Critics) for Ishqiya (2010) and Sherni (2021)
Images for kids
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Vidya Balan's signature
See also
In Spanish: Vidya Balan para niños
