Vidya Balan recently emerged from a Bollywood sabbatical in Mission Mangal.
Last seen in Tumhari Sulu in 2017, the actor was part of an ensemble cast in Mission Mangal that included Tapsee Pannu, Nithya Menen, Kirti Kulhari, Sonakshi Sinha, among others.
“It was a mission in itself and it was fantastic. I worked with a bunch of girls in Begum Jaan but in Mission Mangal we are talking about stars in their own right and accomplished actors. What was amazing was that they came on the sets with a sense of security which was really admirable. There was an easy flow between us. I didn’t particularly know any of them. I worked with Akshay (Kumar) after a long time but it felt as if nothing had changed even though it’s been 12 years. He is still very mischievous. He would say ‘sabse badmaash tu hai’, and I would reply ‘I have learnt from the best’,” she says with a laugh.
The actor, who has just turned 40, refutes rumours that she is pregnant. Vidya says, “People who think I am pregnant are stupid. I wear loose clothes and I have never been this happy in my life. This is my body. If they think that then I have been pregnant all my life.
What changes with age, experience and maturity is that you are less hard on yourself. The more accepting you are about this yourself, the happier life becomes.”
On mid-life crisis Vidya says, “Mid-life crisis is for men. Women go through it (a crisis) every month. I believe that women go through a tough time after menopause. They can no longer deal with the fact that they aren’t menstruating.
"It’s a lot of emotional anxiety with the change. Everything is changing so I think this will also become seamless after some time. At least, we are open and talking about it. My aunts didn’t even know about this. A male friend of mine who is unmarried and a commitment-phobe says that women post 35 are more exciting than when they are young. I think we have enough experience under our belts by that age,” she adds.
Unlike Bollywood actors, Vidya has never aspired to have a zero figure. “I have always been plump so I have given up the fight against weight issues. Men always expect that women should be young only then is she considered desirable to men.
"Men lose interest in woman if they are not young enough. That’s why kings got married to young women. But now everything is changing. Girls are getting educated, working, getting married late and having children when they want to. I stopped caring about what people said about my body long ago. That’s why I feel sexy all the time.”
Vidya has been primarily known for the bold choice of roles. On doing films such as Dirty Picture and Kahaani she says, “When I was young I had watched American Beauty. There was a line in the film that remained with me ‘beauty is what beauty does’. When I’m not in front of the camera I’m myself, I’m a different person in front of the camera I’m a character.”
When asked how the industry has changed over the years, Vidya is quick to say, “Of course it has. If it has not changed I will change it. I have been doing female-centric roles for the last 10 years. Some did well, some didn’t and some flopped. I never thought that there is shelf life.
"I entered films at the age of 26 whereas female actors during usually retired at that age. They got married and gave up their careers and that was the norm then. When you look around now, women have not stopped their careers. As long as you are interested in yourself you will continue to be interesting for audiences,” she says.