Vidya moves beyond Parineeta

Vidya Balan has signed two new films
Vidya Balan has signed two new films

Parineeta actress Vidya Balan has signed two new films outside the Vidhu Vinod Chopra banner but says she remains totally loyal to the production house.

"Why is belonging to a camp considered such a negative thing in this industry?" Balan asks.

She has just completed Chopra’s Eklavya and will soon complete another film for the same banner, The Mahatma Versus Munnabhai, (directed by Raj Kumar Hirani) in which she plays a radio jockey.

"I’m proud to be associated with one of the best banners in the country. And it isn’t any kind of restlessness that has made me sign Sourabh Narang’s film.

"There were many offers but it was this one that made me sit up. I hadn’t even seen Sourabh’s first film, Vastu Shastra. When I heard the script, I was completely moved. Any actress would be foolish to turn down such a film," she said.

The character provides Vidya a chance to move far beyond Parineeta, into an area where she skirts hard-hitting headlines.

Vidya chuckles: "It’s a role where I have to pull out all stops and deliver a performance...or else!" The project, to be produced by Anurradha Prasad of BAG films, is actually inspired by the research that Narang undertook while directing Haqeeqat, a reality show on Sahara.

Narang, an erstwhile Ram Gopal Varma protégé, says: "Vidya had tears in her eyes when she heard the script. She’s a phenomenal actress. And I couldn’t think of anyone else for the role. After Vastu Shastra I had to move ahead, move back to my roots and make something rooted to reality." The film will be launched and completed early next year.

Vidya has also said yes to Nikhil Advani’s next film in which she’ll co-star with John Abraham. — IANS

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