On top of her game!
Actress Vidya Balan, who is currently tasting the success of Jalsa, talks about her process, working with Shefali Shah, and more
Vidya Balan always has impressed cine-goers with her splendid acts, and her latest release Jalsa is no exception. Post the success of the film; The Free Press Journal caught up with her for an exclusive tête-à-tête. Excerpts:
You seem to have a constant strategy to choose the perfect script each time…
I really don’t have any method to choose a script. I pick them up instinctively. There are several questions I ask myself subconsciously... would I want to watch that film as an audience or not. Jalsa was the film I wanted to take to people, and I wanted to live the character of Maya Menon. Then came the director and producer, it was important for me, and with the current scenario, I ensured that the producer got the correct release. The film had the right kind of creative atmosphere, which was conducive for everyone.
You have a comfort zone with director Suresh Triveni. Your thoughts?
I have done a wonderful film with him, Tumhari Sulu, and
I enjoy working with him since he pushes me out of my comfort zone. In Jalsa, he made me do something unexpected, and I loved it. I liked the way he used his music right from the narration to the final post. I am an actor who loves to sit with my directors, and Suresh does that too, and we discuss the script for hours. If you had come on the sets of Jalsa, you would have seen everyone equally invested, not just him and the actors.
Jalsa
Jalsa is your third digital release after Shakuntala Devi and Sherni. Have you created a separate OTT fanbase?
I don’t know about the OTT fanbase, but I have definitely made a separate niche for a digital platform in particular, as all three films of mine were released on this platform (laughs). I am so thrilled that the digital platforms are willing to back projects that are unconventional. I am a greedy actor, and I just want to tell stories and connect to people irrespective of any medium.
You have changed the face of women in Bollywood right from your first film Parineeta. You were very secure as an actor in a two heroine film like Jalsa...
I do go through my periods of insecurities, but this is who I am. I have a family which I know will be with me irrespective of the verdict of my films, be it my parents, sister and brother-in-law or my husband (Siddharth Roy Kapur). They are my safety net. I am really blessed to have them. We are in a day and age where some films will work and some won’t. Honestly, I have never been in competition with anyone. My co-star Shefali Shah is magnificent in Jalsa. Look at the kind of work she has done in the past.
Do you believe that you, Manav Kaul and Suresh are a lucky trio?
Manav is an actor with whom I enjoy working. I wish I could have had much more screen time with him in Jalsa. And, we hadn’t got the chance to work with each other after Tumhari Sulu, so Jalsa was complimentary.
How was your experience shooting with the special child Surya Kasibhatla?
He is exactly like his name. He is the sun. He is magical and beautiful. I couldn’t believe that he hasn’t faced the camera ever before Jalsa. He is such an instinctive actor. He was present every moment. He wasn’t distracted by the process of filmmaking on the sets. I admire him and his parents. I don’t think I have seen this kind of unconditional acceptance.