“There was a burning desire; a fire in the belly,” Vidya Balan on conquering showbiz

Sometimes working with actors can be stressful. You have to second-guess their moods and walk on eggshells trying to make things okay. She’s that rare breed that gives you back the respect they demand. She automatically earns your trust and respect. Perhaps it comes from a place of love. It’s so easy to love VB. Shorn of any artifice, what you see is what you get. She will listen intently while you talk and be interested in knowing more than superficial things. She’s genuinely interested in the process of communication and engagement. And therein also lies her ability as an actor. She’s reached a stage where she’s sure-footed about it. No dithering; no number games to worry about. She practises her craft diligently, and it shows up time and again. Why does she always act from the heart? Why does she connect every single time? What is it about Ms. Balan that reaches the deepest crevices of your memory? Why do you identify with her every single time?

She can be sexual and predatory with a wounded soul, like she was in The Dirty Picture, without any scope for redemption. Or she can offer solace and hope, like she did in Tumhari Sulu. Vidya preys on your worst fears, yet she assuages your soul in Kahani. She can play sexual politics and slay the men in Ishqiya. In her heartbreaks, we see our frailties; in her joys, we seek solace like we did in Paa. She doesn’t get the character; she is the character. She probably doesn’t even know how much hope and love she ignites in the turbulent darkness of the theatre. Her triumph is the triumph of the common woman, your next-door girl who made good. Vidya is the underdog story time and again. And that’s why it hits you in the gut. No dissembling, no doublespeak. Her art is pure. Her craft is guileless. When she says main kar sakti hai, we all know we can do it too. Through her hopes, we shall soar; through her eyes, we shall see a whole new world. Thank you for just being you.