An Inspiring Journey: Why Was Vidya Balan Considered A 'Jinx' & Lost 8-9 South Films?
In a moving conversation, Vidya Balan recently opened up on rejections and a life of lows before she became a household name with performances in Parineeta, The Dirty Picture, and Kahaani. After a Malayalam film got shelved, she was labelled “jinxed” and directors refused to work with her. She said, “I cried a lot... and then I’d say, ‘One more day.’”
While speaking to Rodrigo Canelas on the Something Bigger Show, Vidya Balan talked about her early days in the industry and how she had signed the film Chakram, which also starred Mohanlal. The actor shared that after shooting for 6-7 days, she was told that there were some problems and the shoot was put on pause. After a few days, she was sent back to Mumbai with some vague explanations. Soon, she learnt that the film was shelved.
But what happened next was even worse. During this time, she signed several films. Filmmakers called, discussed scripts and remuneration and she signed about 8-9 films. “By now, the word spread that there is a South Indian girl who was doing a Malayalam film at a time when most South actresses were Punjabis… And after my film was shelved, I lost all of these 8-9 films. They said, ‘What could’ve gone wrong? Maybe it’s the energy of this girl — she’s jinxed,’” she recalled.
Sharing the excruciating experience, Vidya said that a well-known director dropped her just 20 days before an international shoot and producers refused to work with her. Despite everything, Vidya Balan said she clung to hope and had a very strong support system. Her mother rallied behind her and her sister would share stories of actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Tabu and their initial struggles.
Balan shared, “Every night I’d go to bed thinking this is not meant for me. But the first rays of the sun would infuse me with hope—I’d say, okay, one more day.”
About three years after the incident, Vidya met ad filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar. She called him “dada” and they worked together on an ad shoot. After wrapping it up, he promised he will make a film with her. And that film was Parineeta
“For the first time, I felt seen,” she said. “Dada had so much faith in me, I rebuilt myself through it. When you’ve been fighting so long, sometimes you just need someone to carry you. That’s what he did.”
Vidya Balan is a recipient of the National Film Award, seven Filmfare Awards, and a Padma Shri.