Vidya Balan has been working in the entertainment industry for over two decades now. Before she appeared on the silver screen, the actress worked in yesteryear’s one of the most popular TV shows, Hum Paanch. Later in 2005, she ventured into Bollywood with Parineeta and has led several films, including Shakuntala Devi, Sherni, Kahaani, and Bobby Jasoos, among many others. Most recently, her film, Do Aur Do Pyaar, starring Pratik Gandhi, Illeana D’Cruz and Sendhil Ramamurthy in lead roles, was released in theatres on April 19, 2024.
Vidya appeared on the RelationShit Advice show, hosted by comedian Raunaq Rajani, to promote her now-released film. In the episode, which was released on YouTube recently, the actress shared a hilarious yet bizarre anecdote about a director when she was shooting one of her films with him. Vidya recalled that the superstitious director wore the same pair of shorts for 42 days straight. Without revealing the name of the director or the film, the actress recalled:
“I was on a film set where the director wore the same pair of shorts for 42 days because he was superstitious. Actually, I didn’t notice because I wasn’t looking, but I heard about it. Interestingly, the film bombed.”
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It ain’t the first time that something as bizarre as this happened with the actress. Previously, Vidya opened up about the time when she was snubbed by the South Indian film industry. While talking with Faye Dsouza, the actress revealed that she was labelled as ‘jinxed’ after a Malayalam film with the acclaimed actor, Mohanlal got shelved. This incident cost her 12 projects as words spread like wildfire claiming that she was unlucky. After this, Vidya continued working in advertisements till Pradeep Sarkar offered her Parineeta, and the rest is history.
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Despite being one of the most successful leading ladies in the Indian film industry in contemporary times, Vidya has been repeatedly body-shamed by producers and filmmakers. Recently, while she attended Indian Express’ six-part series, Expresso, the actress shared that she was asked by producers to lose some kilos before starting any new film. In her words:
“Before every film, I would get asked by the producers and directors if I could shed some weight. And I have been going through some health challenges for a long long time. So it was next to impossible.”
Vidya continued expressing her thoughts on this issue and recalled that she was fed up with this and finally had told the director to find someone who would fit the expected body dimensions. Calling this absolutely ridiculous, the actress added that if a part has been written keeping her in mind, then why do these directors and producers come up with such bizarre demands. She said:
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“Finally four to five years ago, when the director said this to me, I said, ‘Please, I am not going to be the body you need me to be. You need to go to the body you need.’ I find this absolutely ridiculous. Because the part was written with me in mind. So why this insistence? What is this obsession with only thin being desirable and acceptable?
What are your thoughts about Vidya Balan’s anecdote about the superstitious director?
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