Indian actress Vidya Balan on why she rejects damsel-in-distress roles

Gulf News

Indian actress Vidya Balan, whose trophy cabinet is filled with National Awards and Best Actor statuettes, is up for almost anything. However, there is one thing she refuses to do.  “I could never play a damsel in distress. I couldn’t do it even in my early years as an actor, and I don’t think I can do it now either,” said Balan in a virtual interview with Gulf News.  Read the full story here:  https://gulfnews.com/entertainment/bollywood/watch-bollywood-actress-vidya-balan-on-why-she-rejects-damsel-in-distress-roles-and-shuns-reviews-1.96902345  Subscribe to Gulf News on YouTube and watch more of our videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/GulfNewsTV  See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km  #UAEnews #Bollywood #VidyaBalan

Transcript

00:00Have you been just trying on this path to only do strong roles?

00:04I just think that's who I am probably, which is why I veer towards those kind of roles.

00:09I only see women as strong people.

00:12So, you know, which is why I don't think I'd be able to do something where

00:15the woman is inconsequential.

00:24Is the pleasure to promote movies getting to you or do you love this as well?

00:29I'm given to believe that I'm one of the few actors who enjoys promotions,

00:33but I think I had begun to experience some kind of fatigue.

00:37Because for the past three films that released on OTT,

00:42I think we were pretty much promoting sitting in one place.

00:47So I think that began to get a bit draining, you know,

00:51because there wasn't even like you weren't getting a breather of any sort.

00:54But this time around, I have to tell you,

00:56now that we're back meeting people, doing in-person stuff, it's so much nicer.

01:02You seem to be like Tintin slash Nancy Drew slash that kind of avatar.

01:07You seem to be channeling it.

01:08So where do you fit? Were you excited to play Salute?

01:11Yeah, but you know, she's not your typical or stereotypical detective.

01:17That's what makes her interesting.

01:18You know, she's almost like an oddball of sorts.

01:21Extremely sharp, but extremely shy.

01:23You know, that's a very interesting combination.

01:27She's inscrutable, but she's constantly observing and absorbing and decoding.

01:33So I almost felt like throughout the film,

01:38while she's trying to figure these people out and their motives

01:42and trying to solve the mystery,

01:45they're trying to solve the mystery that is Meera Rao.

01:48When it comes to you're dealing with rich, privileged brats,

01:50all of them are so morally ambiguous.

01:53So where do you fit in?

01:54Are you the moral compass that finally comes in?

01:58Or what should we know about your character?

02:00No, I don't think she's a moral compass of any sort,

02:03but she's a spectator.

02:05You know, this is new for her.

02:07She's very fascinated by human beings per se.

02:11She's actually socially awkward,

02:13but you know, she's interested in knowing people

02:15just to be able to decode them, to see what gets them going.

02:20So in that sense, she's a spectator.

02:23And therefore, I think even you're a spectator to their lives.

02:28You've worked with Anu for Shakuntala Devi as well.

02:31So you know her, right?

02:33How have your equations and dynamics changed?

02:35I just think it's a very comfortable equation.

02:37It's an equation of trust.

02:39I just know that she'll push me to try something different.

02:44That's something that I'm always interested in doing.

02:47Were you tempted to judge all the characters?

02:49The other characters that you are investigating?

02:51Because they're so...

02:52All of them sound really wicked.

02:54They don't seem truly likable.

02:56I mean, endearing maybe later.

02:57I don't know when you watch the thing.

02:58At first glance, you know, they're just a bunch of spoiled brat.

03:01And we love a good...

03:02Definitely.

03:03And they're so far removed from her world

03:05that she's like, you know, what?

03:08So vacuous.

03:09So...

03:11Her world of books and even movies

03:14and just trivia about everything.

03:18She's like...

03:19Really.

03:20She can't even believe that people could be so vapid.

03:24Have you been just trying on this path to only do strong roles?

03:28I just think that's who I am probably,

03:31which is why I veer towards those kind of roles.

03:33I only see women as strong people.

03:36So, you know, which is why I don't think I'd be able to do something

03:40where the woman is inconsequential.

03:42Or a damsel in distress.

03:43Can you play that?

03:44Like, you know, totally without agency.

03:47That's not your cup of tea at all?

03:48I couldn't do it even earlier in my early years.

03:52I don't think I can do it now.

03:54If she's a damsel in distress who then,

03:57you know, discovers her own strength,

04:00then maybe.

04:02Okay.

04:03And becomes a Charlie.

04:05Becomes one of the Charlie's Angels.

04:07Has the lure of cinema changed for you?

04:09Do you still feel as excited when you know

04:11your movie is going to play in the cinemas?

04:13Most definitely.

04:14There's excitement.

04:15There's also nervousness.

04:16I think it's compounded nervousness this time

04:19because it's a theatrical release after four years.

04:21I think I've forgotten what the pressure of...

04:25Not pressure, but you know that tension of knowing

04:28whether people are going to go to the theatres

04:30and watch your film.

04:31That is...

04:32It's a different feeling.

04:34I know.

04:35And coming from you, who's a National Award winner,

04:38that fear is real, right?

04:40And you should...

04:40I mean, I think you are one of the actors

04:42people buy tickets for because you are in it.

04:44So, should you?

04:47You know, it's also the times we're living in.

04:49It's the way our movies have been doing.

04:52The fact that people's habits have changed, you know,

04:55and we're really having to goad them

04:59and ourselves actually to go to the theatre, right?

05:02So, when your film releases,

05:04you're hoping that people just throng the theatres.

05:08And what do they do?

05:10Are you also really interested about the reviews, Vidya?

05:13Tell me about that.

05:14Do you read them and how seriously?

05:15No, I don't read reviews.

05:17I don't read reviews on the release weekend for sure.

05:22Sometimes my father reads everything.

05:24And then if there's a review that's well-written,

05:26then he'll tell me, you must read this.

05:28But I try not to read the reviews

05:30because, yeah, I just...

05:34It's too much on the release weekend.

05:36Each and every one of you is nothing but a bloody leech.

05:42A long night and here we are.

05:45What are you doing?

05:46What are you doing?

05:48My job.

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