Vidya Balan Felt A Personal Connect To Her Role In Every Project

New Delhi: Actress Vidya Balan has successfully changed the idea of the quintessential Indian heroin through her choice of projects, which she revealed always had a 'personal connect', reported news agency PTI. "Every film or role that I have done has had some personal connect. All these women (characters) follow their heart and do exactly what they want to do and in a way, they were all an extension of me." Vidya, who is known for portraying strong protagonists, has given something new to the audience each time, be it through her debut film Parineeta or her recent release Tumhari Sulu.

The 39-year-old actress whose recent release Tumhari Sulu had a dream run at the box office is reportedly hailed as one of the actresses, who pioneered a change in the concept of the Hindi film heroine in the last decade.

When it comes to choosing films, Vidya is as free as a bird and her diverse career is a proof of the same. Films like Parineeta, Ishqiya, No One Killed Jessica, The Dirty Picture, Kahaani and Tumhari Sulu have established Vidya as an actor par excellence in the Indian film industry.

Speaking about her decision to favour female-centric projects, Vidya told PTI: "I am a shy person. There are two sides to me when the actor side comes out, I am different. I can do anything for the character but as a person, I am quite shy."

With every film, Vidya has found a purpose in life and she strongly feels that every character helped her discover something new about herself. "Every film that I have done has had a purpose in my life. It has, in a way, freed a certain part of me. I discovered things about myself. Therefore, I feel my state of mind reflects my choices. Maybe, I was ready to let go of that judgment. This is why I chose The Dirty Picture," PTI quoted her as saying.

On the work front, Vidya has recently got the rights for Sagarika Ghose's book titled Indira - India's Most Powerful Prime Minister, and she's thrilled about portraying the former prime minister. "I am happy to have acquired the rights to Sagarika Ghose's Indira - India's Most Powerful Prime Minister because I have always wanted to play Indira Gandhi. I haven't decided yet whether it should be a film or a web series, but that will take a while anyway," she told news agency IANS.

Vidya, who was last seen in Suresh Triven's Tumhari Sulu, had won National Award for Best Actress for playing Silk Smitha in 2011's The Dirty Picture.

(With inputs from PTI and IANS)