Vidya is confident about her new look
Noreen Aslam

BOMBAY—Vidya Balan has gone in for a complete makeover for her forthcoming venture with Shahid Kapur. The actress has slimmed down too for this Aziz Mirza venture called Lucky Charm. Says Vidya, “I am working hard to change my appearance and hope my fans like it.” The actress had received a lot of flak for her costumes in her last few films. “I have accepted all the criticism that came my way. I had been a little lazy, but not anymore. I won’t give my fans a chance to criticise me now,” she says. Speaking about the costumes that she feels comfortable in, Vidya adds, “I find myself most comfortable wearing jeans or slacks with T-shirts and a cotton salwar suit once in a while. I like to apply minimal makeup and that’s why I prefer simpler clothes.”
The actress has been playing serious characters in almost all her ventures right from Parineeta, to Lage Raho Munnabhai, Heyy Babyy and now Bhool Bhulaiyaa. “Makers haven’t offered me full-fledged comedy roles yet, but I am hopeful that some good director keeping faith in my comic abilities offers me such a role. I am dying to play a completely funny character,” says Vidya.
Speaking about her forthcoming venture Halla Bol, she says, “The story of this film is actually the journey of a man (Ajay Devgan) from being a reel hero to a real-life hero. I play his wife, who stands by him throughout this journey right from being an actor to his standing up for what he believes in. Though it is a difficult choice for him to make, I always hold up a mirror for him. There is a certain consciousness that my character carries for him. Our families often do this and that’s exactly what my character, Sneha does for him.” So how was it working with a serious actor like Ajay? “He carries a serious actor tag though he has also done some good comedies. That reflects more often in his offscreen behaviour on the sets when he is forever up to some pranks on his co-stars. It was good fun working with him.”
When asked about her role appearing to be smaller in this totally male-dominated film, Vidya says,“I agree it is a small character, but being associated with a film like this in itself was a very special proposition for me. Better subjects are coming to the fore now but the kind of films that Gulzaar saab or other makers attempted: movies with social consciences are not made very often in today’s times. Halla Bol is one such film. Rajkumar Santoshi is known for making such films and I enjoy being a part of it. Ideally, I feel films like Munnabhai, which are entertaining and yet carry a social message, should be made more often.”
About her being linked to her co-stars John and now Shahid, Vidya reveals, “Frankly speaking, these rumours used to trouble me earlier. I used to be very upset and angry. Sometimes I cried over why my name was being dragged into something that was totally untrue. Now I have overcome all that. I realised that as long as I am single, my name will always be dragged into some controversy. It’s part of being a celebrity, hence, it doesn’t bother me any more”.