‘I AM AT A STAGE WHERE IT’S NOT A MAKE OR BREAK’
Actor Vidya Balan says while she has established herself in Bollywood, box-office success is important in every phase to keep going
Pooja Sharma
She is not someone who you’d see doing multiple films in a year. After Tumhari Sulu in 2017, Vidya Balan was seen on the big screen in Mission Mangal, a year and a half later. But this time, she has dived straight into work with her next, Shakuntala Devi. Vidya essays the role of the Indian writer and mental calculator, who was often referred to as the ‘human computer’. Promising to showcase a different avatar, and to keep it as real as she can, the 40-year-old says, “The only computer with a sense of humour is how I’d describe her. She was amazing.” Excerpts:
What kind of preparation does this role demand from you?
[This character] has a very different personality, from any person I’ve played so far. I never associated math with humour. The way she responds to life situations is incredible. She could have been just the opposite, but she’s so much fun. That’s what I love about her.
How do you react to situations when there’s pressure?
Actually, I laugh it off. But, I could lose it also (laughs). It depends on to what extent I feel pushed, pressured. I could be snappy in private moments, because no one needs to bear the brunt of my stress. So, I try and avoid stress; rarely it happens that I feel pushed to the wall.
What are those things that push you to react that way?
Sometimes, when people in the garb of humour, disrespect you. Normally I’d laugh it off, but there are times when I’m tired, and then if a person irritates me, I could get irritated. I tend to vent it out more at home. Sometimes, I just sit in my balcony and watch the waves. That calms me down.
At this point in your career, how crucial is box-office success?
It’s important in every phase. It affects me for sure. You give (a film) so much, and it’s heartbreaking if it doesn’t work. But when it does, you receive so much love. There’s no bigger reward than the fact that it’s being watched by so many people.
Do you get affected by failures?
Thankfully, I’m at a stage where it’s not a make or break, but at the end, a hit is a hit. And when a film doesn’t work, it affects the budget of your next film. Especially the kind of films I do, that’s the first outcome. People become more cautious and say that it’s a woman-led film and ‘thoda budget sambhaal ke’. Then you can’t hike your price (laughs) and have to wait for your next film to work.
So, is there still a long road ahead to match up to male counterparts in terms of budgets?
Of course, it is. But, I look at the glass half full. Today, femaleled films are doing well.
But in terms of overall ratio, it’s still a small percentage, and out of those, how many succeed? Nothing succeeds like success, so the more success these films see, the more money will get pumped into it, and more films will be made. It’s a process, but it’ll take time. I look at how far we’ve come.
A hit is a hit. When a film doesn’t work, it affects the budget of your next film. People say that it’s a woman-led film and ‘thoda budget sambhaal ke’.
VIDYA BALAN ACTOR