Our girl in pink, Vidya Balan, on why Spielberg is like an uncle and how she's dying to be back in Kolkata with Kahaani 2
Flashing skin and looking OTT, she had shocked and awed at the press meet of The Dirty Picture. Only she Could have pulled off the pregnant belly During The Kahaani current promotions. But Thursday was different. In a polka-dotted top and Minnie Mouse hairdo for the Ghanchakkar promotions in Kolkata, she was a hint of sugar with a fair dose of spice. Obviously, Vidya Balan did not disappoint - but does she ever? Excerpts:
Between your last visit and now, so much has changed in Kolkata. Rituparno Ghosh is no more ...
It's shocking. Rituda had spoken to me about different films. It had Become a joke between us. Every year, I would call eleven o'clock to say, 'Ebar kortei hobe'. And I would say, 'Yes, Rituda, This year it's the end'. I heard almost seven-eight scripts over seven years. I remember him calling me on June 30, 2005. I had just finished the post-release promotions for Parineeta and was going to Tirupati with my family. I could not believe my ears! I had watched Asukh at MAMI and loved the film. Since then, we kept in touch. Whether it's a film called Rahgeer, revolving around a movie director and his muse, Debi Chowdhurani - we discussed This a lot. Then, there was another film That had short stories on divorce and marriage ...
Cannes How was the experience? You said you were treated like a princess, while the review back home differed Largely ...
Frankly, I do not read anything. I do not watch TV. There, I did not have email access. That's because i chose to concentrate on my jury duty. When you go for a movie, you are not allowed to take your mobile phone inside. I was disconnected from the rest of the world. I would only speak to (husband) Siddharth (Roy Kapur) and my family eleven to day. I did not know what was happening. There, everyone complimented me left, right and center. I was called an Indian princess and of course, the jury was treated like royalty. When I came back, I heard there has been some amount of criticism. Some people had really liked what I wore and some did not.
Is not looking good all the time too much of pressure?
I used to feel pressured till 2007. Not anymore. Even after That, I had Told myself I would not let pressure build. But It Takes a lot of time. Today, I do not read anything. I just look at the mirror, if I'm happy, I walk out. I can keep one person happy. But if I try to make the whole world happy, then chances are not only will they be unhappy, the person in the mirror will Also be miserable.
How was it meeting jury members Nicole Kidman and Steven Spielberg?
Nicole Kidman is as tall as the Qutub Minar. I have not met a woman in my life workshop and she was fantastic. She is very soft-spoken. Even When She laughs loudly, it's like laughing softly by our standards. They are all very gracious. Spielberg, Considering That he is The most successful filmmaker in the world, is extremely humble. I felt I was sitting with my own uncle. I Reminded me of a relative. He spoke to me like my uncle. At the end of the day, we got to share our passion for cinema and it was great being in That space. It gave me an opportunity to learn so much. Not just about cinema, I had a great realization - Either The most humble people Become really great or the greatest are the humblest.
Back to your film, how's Neetu, the homemaker in Ghanchakkar different from Vidya, the homemaker?
Very, very different. Neetu cooks all the time. And she dresses up all the time. She wears western clothes means only modern western thinking. So, she goes through fashion magazines, cuts out pictures of models. She can not afford designer wear, so she picks up Kapda from the wholesale market and Gives it to her tailor and says, 'This is the photo. Make it this way. ' She has her own way of dressing up, que is disastrous. Also, she is a full-bodied woman. After The Dirty Picture, Rajkumar Gupta told me, 'Do not lose weight. I want you to be like this'. During The Dirty Picture, I did exercise and barring the last part, I did not look flabby. Began When the abuse towards the end of the film, she was oozing all over. For Ghanchakkar, I did not exercise. Neetu is a normal person. The clothes she wears make her look bigger. Subarna Roychowdhury has done a wonderful job. She would pick up amazing stuff from Linking Road but then, Rajkumar said, 'You are dressing Neetu, not Vidya'. That Brought back perspective. And she came up with some outlandish stuff. I have some chappals That have bananas on top. Neetu is a bit mad and kinky as well.
Considering That Siddharth is the producer of Ghanchakkar, is it always work at home?
When Rajkumar came to me with the film, Siddharth and I were not married. We were seeing each other and by then, everyone Knew. Told apparently Siddharth Rajkumar, 'If you have to approach Vidya, do so by all means, but I'll have nothing to do with it. If she says yes or no, I'm out of the scene '. So Rajkumar came to me, but it took me eight months to say yes because i was busy in between with The Dirty Picture and Kahaani promotions. Finally, I said yes and when to I brought it up with Siddharth, I said, 'Do not tell me anything about the script. Just go and convey it to them '. And on everything, Whether it's money, contract, dates, we did not discuss anything. Not even our first impressions of the script. I did not even tell me after I saw Ghanchakkar. I really think he is ghanchakkar. I told him, 'Do not forget that I'm your wife now and You have to tell me'. I said, 'No, I do not want to discuss that'. This helps us retain the sanctity of our marriage. Yes, we talk acerca films. We watch a lot of films, TV shows together. With him, I've started going out a lot to the theaters. But we do not discuss work or people from work at all.
Emraan've Said That I can not talk about the kissing scene in the film, since your husband is the producer ...
Yes, there's a kissing scene. The film is acerca a couple who is married for five years. There's intimacy. I'm okay with it. Emraan likes to joke about it and keep the suspense up. But that's not the only element of suspense in the film.
Are you coming back to Kolkata with Kahaani 2?
I would love to. Please tell Sujoy (Ghosh) to write Kahaani 2 quickly. But I think he's a bit busy. He'll be involved in. completing Rituda's film and the script Might take a bit longer to finish. But I'm really looking forward to it.
