Vidya Balan: Glamour Is Not The Reason Why I Joined Films

Actress Vidya Balan, who was recently seen in the film ‘Jalsa’ says that she has never cared to assess if a character is glamourous or not while coming on board with a film. 

In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, the actress said that her focus has always been on being part of good stories and films and does not give too much importance to how she is looking on the screen. “I don’t even think about these things. Glamour is not even the reason why I joined films. I am here to tell stories and I am fortunate to get stories, which are very different from each other, each time. Stories that are raw, real and relatable fascinate me,” she was quoted as saying. 

Balan made her debut with the film ‘Parineeta’ in 2005 and has been part of films such as 'Kahaani' (2012), 'No One Killed Jessica' (2011), 'The Dirty Picture' (2011), ‘Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh’ (2016), ‘Begum Jaan’ (2017), ‘Natkhat’ (2020), ‘Sherni (2021)’. Talking about how she decides to come on board with a project, the actress says that her only concern is the story. If the story relates to her, she comes on board. “When I am making a decision about doing a film, I only think about whether it appeals to me. That’s my primary consideration,” she says.

In fact, she adds that she never tries to assess what people expect from her as she understands that people want many different things and it’s impossible to focus on all of that. “It is never about what people are expecting from me because different people will have different expectations, and I won’t be able to fulfil all of it,” she says.

She adds, “When you’re a confident woman who uses her voice unapologetically and unabashedly, I think it is intimidating for most people. And while I believe all of us have a voice, not all of us use it.”