Vidya Balan biography
Name Vidya Balan
Date of Birth January 1, 1982
Nick Name Vidya
Sex Female
Sign Capricorn
Height 5′ 4″ (1.63 m)
Family Father – P R Balan (Vice-President of ETC channel), Mother (House maker).
Siblings Older sister Priya
City Palghat, Kerala
Education St. Antony’s School and St. Xavier’s College
Languages Tamil, Hindi, English, Malayalam, Bengali
Occupation Bollywood actress and Fashion Model
Debut Film Parineeta
Country India
Religion Hindu
Bidya Balan biography
Vidya Balan is a Tamilian from Kerala. Vidya balan casually radiant, without any artifice, totally engaing is the new star in the Bollywood skies. She is from the Iyer community. She comes from a middleclass family from Palghat, on the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.Her family consists of her dad, P.R. Balan, who is the Vice-President of ETC Channel; mom – a home-maker, and an elder sister, Priya, who is married to Kedar. She also has an aunt by the name of Raji Raju. The Balan family re-located to live at Road No. 11, near Ambedkar Garden, Chembur, Bombay, when Vidya was very young. She studied in St. Anthony’s Convent School, and thereafter in St. Xavier’s College from where she obtained a degree in Sociology. She then went on to obtain a Masters degree in Sociology from Bombay University. She also studied and performed in Prithvi Theaters’ workshops. Due to tradition of most Tamil-Iyer families, Vidya and her Priya learned Carnatic dance form during their early childhood days, but Vidya opted out as the dance classes took place early on Sunday mornings and as she is not an early riser.
Debut as a model
She made her debut as a model in a Surf Excel advertisement in 1998. She has acted in scores of ad films, most of which were directed by Pradeep Sarkar. A couple of months later, she featured in three music videos (again directed by Sarkar) for ‘Euphoria’, Shubha Mudgal and Pankaj Udhas. Vidya Balan started work as an actress in the Malayalam movie Chakram, paired against Mohanlal, however the film was abandoned mid-way through production. After making her debut in television advertising as a model for a Surf Excel advertisement in 1998, she proceeded to do over 25 TV ads, (mostly directed by Pradeep Sarkar), followed with a variety of acting stints in music videos (Euphoria, Shubha Mudgal and Pankaj Udhas), Hindi TV soap operas (Hanste Khelte and Hum Paanch) and a Bengali movie, Bhaalo Theko, for which she won the Best Actress Anand Lok Puraskar award in Kolkata.
In the meantime, she acted in Bengali movie Bhalo Theko with actor Joy Sengupta. She even won the ‘best actress’ Anand Lok Puraskar in Kolkata for her performance in the movie. It was in Mumbai, during a pop concert, when filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra approached her to play the female lead in his movie Parineeta, to be directed by Pradeep Sarkar. Vidya’s had to go through 40 scre
en tests and 17 make-up shoots before she was finally chosen for the lead role in the film.
A Traditional Indian Look
Vidya Balan has a very traditional Indian look in contrast to most of today’s Bollywood starlets. She is associated with AmFar (Americans for AIDS Research) and Hale House, a home for children born with HIV and those affected by Drug Addiction. She also involves herself with the Harvard AIDS Institute, by Hosting Forums and participating in events throughout the year. No wonder that Vidya Balan is one of the most talked about names in Bollywood today.
Rare actresses
Vidya is a hot property in Bollywood. Vidya Balan is one of those rare actresses who haven’t been corrupted by her success. She still enjoys reading books and chilling with friends and family rather than being a filmy type
Personal Quotes
“Neither of my first two Malayalam films got completed, and I walked out of the third, a Tamil film, because I was not comfortable. I was replaced in another Tamil film with the excuse that I could not act. They made me feel ugly to the point where I was scared to look in the mirror. In retrospect I thank God, and by God’s grace today the going is good.”
Vidya Balan Filmography
Bihaad (2008)
Lucky Charm (2008)
Kismat Konnection (2008) – Priya
Halla Bol (2008) – Sneha
Dus Kahaniyaan (2007)
Om Shanti Om (2007) – special appearance
Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007) – Avni
Heyy Babyy (2007) – Esha
Eklavya (2007) – Rajeshwari
Salaam-E-Ishq: A Tribute to Love (2007) – Tehzeeb
Guru (2007) – Meenu
Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006) – RJ Jahnvi
Parineeta (2005) – Lolita
Awards and nominations
Filmfare Awards
Winner
2006: Filmfare Best Female Debut Award, Parineeta
2006: Filmfare Face of the Year, Parineeta[14]
Nominated
2006: Filmfare Best Actress Award, Parineeta[15]
2008: Filmfare Best Actress Award, Bhool Bhulaiyaa[16]
Star Screen Awards
Winner
2006: Star Screen Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Female, Parineeta
Zee Cine Awards
Winner
2006: Zee Cine Award for Best Female Debut, Parineeta
Nominated
2006: Zee Cine Award for Best Actor – Female, Parineeta
International Indian Film Academy Awards
Winner
2006: IIFA Best Female Debut, Parineeta
Nominated
2007: IIFA Best Actress Award, Lage Raho Munnabhai
2008: IIFA Best Actress Award, Bhool Bhulaiyaa
2008: IIFA Best Villain Award, Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Stardust Awards
Winner
2006: Stardust Superstar of Tomorrow – Female, Parineeta
Other Awards
2003: Anandalok Puraskar Awards, Best Actress, Bhalo Theko
2006: Star’s Sabsey Favourite Nayi Heroine, Parineeta
2007: Anandalok Puraskar Awards, Best Actress, Bhool Bhulaiyaa[17]
Vidya Balan Likings
Likes: indian classical music
Favorite films: DDLJ, Dil Se, One fine day
Favorite clothes: saris
Favorite food: home-cooked
Her hero: Amitabh Bachchan
Her heroine: Madhuri Dixit
Other facts: Vidya is spiritually inclined
Hobbies: reading – all of Paulo Coelho’s books, listening to music and watching films