Vidya Balan ditched her sarees – and, in fact, her entire wardrobe – for Dabboo Ratnani's annual celebrity photoshoot and the Internet clearly cannot handle it. Vidya, generally beloved for her girl-next-door persona, stars in what is surely the most suggestive of this year's pictures from Dabboo Ratnani; it shows her with a newspaper in one hand and a mug in the other but this was no ordinary morning ritual – Vidya, wearing heels and sunglasses, appears to be unclothed behind the newspaper.
It's a fun if unexpected photo – mainly because the subject is the wholesome Vidya Balan – but the comments thread has exploded and not in a good way. Several trolls referenced Vidya's film The Dirty Picture which was based on the life of South actress Silk Smitha, others were rude about the newspaper and some made what they thought were funny jokes about forgetting one's clothes.
See the picture of Vidya Balan here, posted on Dabboo Ratnani's Instagram:
Dabboo Ratnani has shot the usual suspects this year – from Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor; he's also shot some newer faces like Shehnaaz Gill.
Vidya Balan is best-known for her work in acclaimed films like Parineeta, Ishqiya, No One Killed Jessica, Kahaani Guru, Paa and, of course, The Dirty Picture. Her credits include the original Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Mission Mangal and Begum Jaan. Vidya's last few film releases included the biopic Shakuntala Devi and the well-received Sherni. She has two projects coming up, one of which is titled Neeyat.