Vidya Balan recalls the moment when she was selected to play ‘Parineeta’

Actress Vidya Balan made a lasting impression as Parineeta with her debut movie. However, the journey of getting her big break in Bollywood was full of roadblocks for the “Kahaani” actress. During an exclusive interaction with veteran actress Simi Garewal on one of the episodes of her popular chat show, “Rendezvous with Simi Garewal,” Vidya recalled the exact moment she was selected for her first Bollywood project.

Vidya had already undergone numerous auditions and had practically given up on the hope of getting the film. However, fate had other plans for her. Sharing the incident in her own words, the ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ actress said, “I was at an Enrique concert, and my cell was off, because I didn’t want to be disturbed. A friend of mine was with me, who also worked with Dada, incidentally. So, Dada called him and said, “Where is Vidya? Isn’t she at the concert?” So, he said, “Yeah, she is”. As I picked up the phone and he said, “Mr. Chopra (Vidhu Vinod Chopra) wants to speak to you.”

Vidya revealed that she was certain he was calling to politely inform her that she did not get the part.

However, to her amusement, the filmmaker said, “Vidya Balan, you are my Parineeta. I’ve only been wanting to push you to get the best out of you. And I’m investing my faith in you. I know you’ll always bring honour to the family.”

A cinematic adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s 1914 Bengali novel of the same name, “Parineeta” also marked the directorial debut of Pradeep Sarkar. Produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the project starred Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, and Vidya Balan in lead roles, along with Raima Sen, Sabyasachi Chakrabarty, and Dia Mirza as the ancillary cast. The film was released in the cinema halls on June 10, 2005.

Meanwhile, Vidya once revealed during her appearance on the “The Anupam Kher Show – “Kucch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai,” how her mother reacted to her being part of the popular show “Hum Paanch.” The “Kahaani” actress revealed that while her mother was not too enthusiastic about her acting career, he was extremely fond of “Hum Paanch” as she used to feel that it was a family show.

Speaking to the host, Anupam Kher, Vidya shared, “I got a call from Ektaa (Kapoor) asking if I would like to work in ‘Hum Paanch’, and ‘Hum Paanch’ was very popular at that time. It was already on air for the past one year.”

Revealing her mother’s reaction in her own words, she went on to add, “My mother used to tell my father to make me understand. She would say, “This South Indian girl, you know. If my father were alive, he would never let her be an actor.” But she used to like ‘Hum Paanch a lot, and she used to feel that it’s a family serial, a family show, and because of this, she was very happy that I got a chance to work in ‘Hum Paanch’.”

Indo-Asian News Service