Vidya Balan is set to woo audiences as Kantha in Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2, bringing her versatility to Tamil cinema. In an exclusive chat with mid-day, the actor reflects on the impact of The Dirty Picture, how she navigated stereotyping after its success, and her take on the objectification of women in South cinema. She also opens up about the evolution of female-led storytelling and her 21-year journey in films.
Vidya Balan on Jailer 2
When asked if she felt Jailer 2 would lead the South Indian film industry to look at her differently, Vidya said, “R Balki’s film won’t allow that because it’s a completely different character. I think, and I’m hoping, that when something works, people will come to you with more of the same thing. But I’ve realised in my career that if you wait it out, people will eventually offer you different kinds of parts.”
On getting stereotyped
Reflecting on being offered similar roles after The Dirty Picture, Vidya said, “After The Dirty Picture, I got quite a few offers for similar parts, but they didn’t make any sense to me. I was also offered a whole lot of biopics, but I didn’t do anything until Shakuntala Devi.” The actor added that she feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to explore a variety of roles throughout her career.
On the objectification of women in South cinema
When asked how she views the chatter around women being objectified in South cinema, Balan stated, “There are all kinds of films being made. The films that have done really well lately have had some female characters who may have been objectified. But women have been objectified in cinema for many years now. Sometimes the instances are fewer, and sometimes they are more. So, in the past few years, it might seem like some of the big films have had a certain amount of objectification. I haven’t watched all those films, so I can’t confidently comment on all of them. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only kind of cinema being made.”
Paving the way for female-centric cinema
Vidya reflected on how films like No One Killed Jessica, Kahaani and The Dirty Picture contributed to the changing landscape of female-led cinema. While she became the face of that change, the actor believes it was a collective shift rather than her achievement alone.
“I became the face of that change, but I can’t take sole credit for it. I’ve always believed I was at the right place at the right time. I wanted to tell female-led stories, but I didn’t know if there would be a market for them or if I’d get the opportunity. Films like Ishqiya and No One Killed Jessica were paving the way before The Dirty Picture came along. There were other films, too, including Rani’s Black and some of Tabu’s films. All of these paved the way, and The Dirty Picture became a milestone when that change finally fructified.”
Reflecting on her 21-year journey in the film industry, Vidya said she has learnt not to take success or failure too seriously. “The only thing is to show up, put your head down and keep working.”
On a parting note, she expressed excitement about her comic caper with Akshay Kumar and Anees Bazmee. “I’m also excited to see how people respond to it. It’s an Anees Bazmee comedy with Akshay and me,” she signed off.
