‘IT’S TIME WE CELEBRATED HOMEGROWN HEROES’
Vidya Balan is happy Hindi filmmakers now don’t need to ‘look outside’ for inspiration
Prashant Singh
She has always had a great association with ‘real’ things. In fact, Vidya Balan’s latest outing in Mission Mangal — based on India’s Mars Mission — got her critical as well as commercial acclaim. And now, The Dirty Picture (2011) actor is busy with the biopic of late math wizard, Shakuntala Devi. In fact, Hindi filmmakers are now increasingly drawing inspiration from real life. “Isn’t it great? Now, we don’t need to look outside for inspiration (for films),” says Vidya, adding: “I feel that it’s time we celebrated our homegrown heroes, our own achievements, and tell stories which are ours. And I feel great that it’s happening increasingly. As an actor too, it’s really thrilling for me.” At the same time, Vidya doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to sign films. In fact, Mission Mangal released nearly two years after her last film, Tumhari Sulu (2017). “See, I am very clear that if I find three compelling scripts backto-back, I will probably do it, the way it happened with Kahaani 2 (2016), Begum Jaan (2017) and Tumhari Sulu. But if I find only one interesting thing in a year, I am fine with doing just that one film,” says the actor, adding that besides Shakuntala Devi, she may come up with “another film” next year. Talking about her latest hit, Mission Mangal, Vidya feels her knowledge of space science has considerably improved thanks to the film. “Honestly, I didn’t even know what payload is (laughs). But I have learned all that through the movie. Jagan (Shakti; director) gave me a docket and some videos to watch. All of that helped me,” says the actor, adding she was clear she had to “sound like a scientist.” “I couldn’t have sounded like main ratta maar ke aayi hoon. I feel the USP of the film is that the science doesn’t intimidate or alienate you. It doesn’t hamper your understanding. That’s why we also have the poori analogy. Such things simplified science and that’s how you understand what the theory behind all of it is,” says Vidya. Right from her debut in Parineeta (2005), Vidya has chosen films which had strong roles for her, going on to do ‘female-centric’ films such as The Dirty Picture, No One Killed Jessica (2011) and Kahaani (2012) among others. “When I started out doing these films 10 years ago, it was a rarity. It was very unique but I feel very fortunate that a change was waiting to happen. And I showed up at the right place at the right time, and became the face of that change. I am very grateful for that. I feel I must have put that desire out into the universe at some point,” she smiles. ■ prashant.singh@htlive.com