Vidya Balan Biography

Vidya Balan Height: 5′ 4″
Vidya Balan was born on the 1st of January in the year 1978 and has appeared in many a Hindi film. She graduated with a sociology degree and began her career with music videos, TV shows and ad commercials. It was much later that this beauty was seen in films.
Vidya made her debut movies with a Bengali film titled Bhalo Theko in the year 2003. Much later, in the year 2005, she made her debut in Hindi films with Parineeta which won Vidya her 1st Filmfare Award as the Best Debut (Female) in addition to her 1st nomination for the Best Actress at Filmfare Awards ceremony. She later was seen in an array of quality roles, and she received her first profit-making victory with Lage Raho Munna Bhai in the year 2006, which was a Rajkumar Hirani’s direction. Consequently, She featured in films such as Guru & Heyy Babyy (in the year 2008); Bhool Bhulaiya (also in the year 2008), which earned her the next Filmfare nominations.
Her film Paa (by R. Balki), that came in the year 2009 saw her as the single mom to a child who suffers from the progeria disease. It was this character that finally won Vidya Balan the award for the Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards.
The year 2010 saw Vidya in Ishqiya, where she was highly praised and also awarded. It seemed like she had just begun her road to success when the world saw another beautiful performance by Vidya with her 1st ever real-life role in the biopic ‘No One Killed Jessica’ which was based on the Sabrina Lal murder. Vidya played the role of Sabrina Lal’s younger sister in this film.
Her Early Life
Vidya was born to Mr. P. R. Balan (the Vice President of the ETC Channel) and Mrs. Balan (a housewife), in Ottapalam, in the Palakkad District of Kerala. She belongs to an Iyer family that speaks Tamil.  as said by Vidya “a blend of Tamil & Malayalam “, is what they converse in at home. Vidya’s also very well versed with languages like Bengali, Hindi & English.
Vidya Balan went to school at the St. Anthony Girls’ High School, in Mumbai. Later she attended the St. Xavier’s College and majored in the domain of Sociology. Vidya wished to further pursue her studies & went to the University of Mumbai to learn MA & that is the time she received her 1st movie offer, which was for a Malayalam film titled Chakram where she was cast opposite one of her favorite actors- Mohanlal. However, this project was put on hold mid-way which made Vidya wait for some more years before her movie debut.
In the year 1998, Vidya made her TV debut when she modeled for the brand Surf Excel in their advertisement. She’s been the face for scores of advertising films, the majority of which have been Pradeep Sarkar’s directions.
It was a couple months after that Vidya featured in three of Pradeep Sarkar’s directed music videos for Pankaj Udhas, Shubha Mudgal and Euphoria.
Vidya’s also done some TV serials which became quite popular like Ashok Pandits Hanste Khelte and Hum Paanch by Ektaa Kapoor.
In the period in-between, Vidya took up roles in some movies like Bhaalo Theko (a Bengali film along with Joy Sengupta, an actor). For this film, Vidya won the Anand Lok Puraskar for the best actress, in Kolkata.
It was much later in Mumbai, when she was present at a pop concert, that Vidhu Vinod Chopra (a filmmaker) approached vidya to play lead role (female) for his film Parineeta, which again was to be a Pradeep Sarkar direction.
Vidya went through seventeen make-up rounds & forty screen tests before finally being chosen for the film parineeta in the lead role.
Her Career
Vidya’s career in acting began with a Malayalam film titled Chakram, where she was cast opposite Mohanlal, unfortunately this film was put on hold after tiff’s with the director of the film. Soon after, she took up a Tamil movie titled Run, only to later drop it after its first schedule, after which she was replaced by actress Meera Jasmine.
Vidya decided to turn to TV advertising. From the year 1998 onwards, Vidya was seen in several TV ads. She took up supporting characters in various music videos, emerging with bands & singers like Euphoria, Pankaj Udhas & Shubha Mudgal. Vidya was also seen in the later seasons in the TV serial Hum Paanch, portraying the character of Radhika Mathur.
In the year 2003, she was seen in a Bengali film titled Bhalo Theko which was a Goutam Halder direction, for which vidya won an Anandalok Puraskar for the Best Actress. Next came Vidya’s Hindi debut in films with Parineeta. this performance was highly praised by the critics & earned her the Best Debut (Female) Filmfare Award and nomination for the Best Actress Filmfare Award.
In the year 2006, Vidya appeared alongside Sanjay Dutt (actor) in a blockbuster movie titled Lage Raho Munna Bhai. This performance once again won her praise by the critics, as the movie became the 2nd highest grossing movie for that year.
Guru (by Mani Ratnam) was Vida’s 1st release for the year 2007, which saw her palying the character of a lady who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis. Her role in the film was highly appreciated and the movie did well. Next, she was seen featuring in films like Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love (in the year 2007) & Eklavya: The Royal Guard (in the year 2007). These movies grossed more than Rs. 180 million & Eklavya was chosen as the  official entry by India into the Oscars for the 80th Academy Awards.
Vidya was again seen in commercial blockbusters the next year with Heyy Babyy (in the year 2007) & Bhool Bhulaiyaa (in the year 2007), where once again her roles were noteworthy and appreciated.
In the year 2009, Vidya was seen in one of her best performances till date with the movie titled Paa. Vidya was seen as a young & independent gynecologist in the film who’s also the single-parent who struggles with a 12year son who suffers from the Progeria syndrome. The role of the sick child named ‘auro’ was played by Amitabh Bachchan. The movie was received glowingly by the critics and Balan’s performance was given due credit. Beautiful reviews were showered upon Vidya for her performance in Paa…. People said that she effortlessly slips into the role of a loving & devoted mother without the overprotective tone that the majority of Bollywood’s youthful mothers frequently resort to….
Some said that Vidya’s role was touching yet restrained…that she was successful in projecting the remarkable figure of refinement and honor, reminiscent of actress Dimple Kapadia (1980’s).
The T.O.I wrote that Vidya lends an unusual poise to the picture of Bollywood’s mom’s. She performs with quiet elegance and controlled emotion…as though she is the Mother Courage incarnation.
Her exposé ultimately earned her the Best Actress Filmfare Award & the Best Actress Star Screen Award, amongst other awards.
Vidya was next seen in the drama titled Ishqiya in the year 2010. This was the 1st feature which was an Abhishek Chaubey direction where she co-starred with Arshad Warsi & Naseeruddin Shah. Vidya played the role of a 30 year old widow, Krishna Verma, who lives in a village. She was portrayed as the femme fatale, the role won her great applaud by the critics. Anupama Chopra from NDTV wrote that vidya’s blazing looks scorched the silver screen even when her eyes suggested tragedy.
In the year 2011, vidya’s first movie was No One Killed Jessica (by Raj Kumar Gupta) together with Rani Mukerji. She played the role of Sabrina Lal’s younger sister who is glaringly plain and somber, unlike her sensational, merrymaking sister named Sabrina. Vidya was seen wearing dull clothing throughout the movie alongwith spectacles, she portrayed the picture of strength and anguish, all together.
It’s believed that she’ll be featuring in a Vibhu Puri direction Chenab Gandhi which will be a Sanjay Leela Bhansali production which will center on Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, who was acknowledged as the Frontier Gandhi. Commencing January 2011, Vidya is planning to be a part of The Dirty Picture, which is a biopic that is based upon Silk Smitha’s (Indian actress) life and her death.
Filmography/ Career Chart
1)      Bhalo Theko, in the year 2003, as Anandi. This was a Bengali film
2)      Parineeta, in the year 2005, as Lalita. Vidya won the Best Debut (Female) Award- Filmfare Awards & was nominated for the Best Actress- Filmfare Awards
3)      Lage Raho Munna Bhai, in the year 2006, as Jhanvi
4)      Guru, in the year 2007, as Meenu Saxena
5)      Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love, in the year 2007, as Tehzeeb Raina
6)      Eklavya: The Royal Guard, in the year 2007, as Rajeshwari
7)      Heyy Babyy, in the year 2007, as Isha
8)      Bhool Bhulaiyaa, in the year 2007, as Avni/Manjulika.  Vidya was Nominated for the Best Actress- Filmfare Awards
9)      Om Shanti Om, in the year 2007, as Herself in a         Special appearance
10)  Halla Bol, in the year 2008, as Sneha
11)  Kismat Konnection, in the year 2008, as         Priya
12)  Paa, in the year            2009, as Vidya. She won the Award for the Best Actress for this film- Filmfare Awards
13)  Ishqiya, in the year 2010, as Krishna Verma. Vidya won the Filmfare Critics for Best Actress & was nominated for the Best Actress- Filmfare Awards
14)  No One Killed Jessica, in the year 2011, as Sabrina Lal
15)  Urumi , in the year 2011, as Makkom. This was a       Malayalam film
16)  Thank You , in the year 2011
17)  Dum Maaro Dum, in the year 2011, as Mrs. Kamath in a Cameo appearance
18)  Kahani which is being filmed.
19)  The Dirty Picture, as Silk Smitha.
Nominations & Awards
Filmfare Awards- Won
2006: for the Best Debut (Female) Award for the film Parineeta
2006: Face of the Year- Filmfare for the film Parineeta
2010: Best Actress – Filmfare Award for the film Paa
2011: Best Actress (for Critics’ Choice) for the film Ishqiya
Filmfare Awards- Nominations
2006: for the Best Actress Filmfare Award for the film Parineeta
2008: for the Best Actress Filmfare Award for the film Bhool Bhulaiyaa
2011: for the Best Actress Filmfare Award for the film Ishqiya
Star Screen Awards-Won
2006: for the Most Promising Female Newcomer for the film Parineeta
2010: for the Best Actress for the film Paa
2011: for the Best Actress for the film Ishqiya
Zee Cine Awards- Won
2006: for the Best Debut- Female for the film Parineeta
2011: for the Best Female Actor  for the film Ishqiya
Zee Cine Awards- Nominations
2006: for the Best Female Actor  for the film Parineeta
International Indian Film Academy Awards- Won
2006: for the Best Debut- Female for the film Parineeta
2010: for the Best Female Actor  for the film Paa (she shared this with actress Kareena Kapoor)
International Indian Film Academy Awards- Nomination
2007: for the Best Female Actor  for the film Lage Raho Munnabhai
2008: for the Best Female Actor  for the film Bhool Bhulaiyaa
2008: for the Best Female villian  for the film Bhool Bhulaiyaa
2008: for the Best Female Actor  in a supporting role for the film Guru
Stardust Awards- Won
2006: for the Superstar (Female) of Tomorrow for the film Parineeta
Stardust Awards- Nominations
2008: for the Best Female Actor  in a supporting role for the film Guru
2011: for the Star (Female) of the Year for the film Ishqiya
2011: the Award  for the Readers’ Choice for the Best Actress (in a Thriller/Action) for the film Ishqiya
Apsara Film and Television Producers Guild Awards- Won
2005: for an Outstanding Debut for the film Parineeta
2010: for the Best Actress for the film Paa
2011: for the Best Actress (Leading Role)  for the film Ishqiya
Additional Awards
2004: for the Best Actress for the film Bhalo Theko at the Anandalok Puraskar Awards
2006: Sabsey Favourite Nayi Heroine for the film  Parineeta at Star’s awards
2007: for the Best Hindi Actress for the film Bhool Bhulaiyaa- Anandalok Puraskar Awards
2010: for the Best Actress for the film  Paa at Lions Gold Awards
2010: for the Best Actress in the film Paa at ‘FICCI Frames 2010′ Excellence Awards
2011: for the Best Female Actor (Lead Role) for the film Ishqiya at the Global Indian Film & Television Honors
2011: Female Actor of the year at the NDTV Indian of the year awards
Trivia – Vidya Balan
She is a Tamilian and belongs to Kerala. Vidya hails from Iyer community from Palghat, which is on the borders of Kerala & Tamil Nadu.
She’s done her school education from the St. Antony’s School and then from St. Xavier’s College from where she majored in Sociology.
She was listed as # 8 of the ‘Top Bollywood Actresses’ in the year 2006.

Vidya Balan Biography

Vidya Balan Height: 5′ 4″
Vidya Balan was born on the 1st of January in the year 1978 and has appeared in many a Hindi film. She graduated with a sociology degree and began her career with music videos, TV shows and ad commercials. It was much later that this beauty was seen in films.
Vidya made her debut movies with a Bengali film titled Bhalo Theko in the year 2003. Much later, in the year 2005, she made her debut in Hindi films with Parineeta which won Vidya her 1st Filmfare Award as the Best Debut (Female) in addition to her 1st nomination for the Best Actress at Filmfare Awards ceremony. She later was seen in an array of quality roles, and she received her first profit-making victory with Lage Raho Munna Bhai in the year 2006, which was a Rajkumar Hirani’s direction. Consequently, She featured in films such as Guru & Heyy Babyy (in the year 2008); Bhool Bhulaiya (also in the year 2008), which earned her the next Filmfare nominations.
Her film Paa (by R. Balki), that came in the year 2009 saw her as the single mom to a child who suffers from the progeria disease. It was this character that finally won Vidya Balan the award for the Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards.
The year 2010 saw Vidya in Ishqiya, where she was highly praised and also awarded. It seemed like she had just begun her road to success when the world saw another beautiful performance by Vidya with her 1st ever real-life role in the biopic ‘No One Killed Jessica’ which was based on the Sabrina Lal murder. Vidya played the role of Sabrina Lal’s younger sister in this film.
Her Early Life
Vidya was born to Mr. P. R. Balan (the Vice President of the ETC Channel) and Mrs. Balan (a housewife), in Ottapalam, in the Palakkad District of Kerala. She belongs to an Iyer family that speaks Tamil.  as said by Vidya “a blend of Tamil & Malayalam “, is what they converse in at home. Vidya’s also very well versed with languages like Bengali, Hindi & English.
Vidya Balan went to school at the St. Anthony Girls’ High School, in Mumbai. Later she attended the St. Xavier’s College and majored in the domain of Sociology. Vidya wished to further pursue her studies & went to the University of Mumbai to learn MA & that is the time she received her 1st movie offer, which was for a Malayalam film titled Chakram where she was cast opposite one of her favorite actors- Mohanlal. However, this project was put on hold mid-way which made Vidya wait for some more years before her movie debut.
In the year 1998, Vidya made her TV debut when she modeled for the brand Surf Excel in their advertisement. She’s been the face for scores of advertising films, the majority of which have been Pradeep Sarkar’s directions.
It was a couple months after that Vidya featured in three of Pradeep Sarkar’s directed music videos for Pankaj Udhas, Shubha Mudgal and Euphoria.
Vidya’s also done some TV serials which became quite popular like Ashok Pandits Hanste Khelte and Hum Paanch by Ektaa Kapoor.
In the period in-between, Vidya took up roles in some movies like Bhaalo Theko (a Bengali film along with Joy Sengupta, an actor). For this film, Vidya won the Anand Lok Puraskar for the best actress, in Kolkata.
It was much later in Mumbai, when she was present at a pop concert, that Vidhu Vinod Chopra (a filmmaker) approached vidya to play lead role (female) for his film Parineeta, which again was to be a Pradeep Sarkar direction.
Vidya went through seventeen make-up rounds & forty screen tests before finally being chosen for the film parineeta in the lead role.
Her Career
Vidya’s career in acting began with a Malayalam film titled Chakram, where she was cast opposite Mohanlal, unfortunately this film was put on hold after tiff’s with the director of the film. Soon after, she took up a Tamil movie titled Run, only to later drop it after its first schedule, after which she was replaced by actress Meera Jasmine.
Vidya decided to turn to TV advertising. From the year 1998 onwards, Vidya was seen in several TV ads. She took up supporting characters in various music videos, emerging with bands & singers like Euphoria, Pankaj Udhas & Shubha Mudgal. Vidya was also seen in the later seasons in the TV serial Hum Paanch, portraying the character of Radhika Mathur.
In the year 2003, she was seen in a Bengali film titled Bhalo Theko which was a Goutam Halder direction, for which vidya won an Anandalok Puraskar for the Best Actress. Next came Vidya’s Hindi debut in films with Parineeta. this performance was highly praised by the critics & earned her the Best Debut (Female) Filmfare Award and nomination for the Best Actress Filmfare Award.
In the year 2006, Vidya appeared alongside Sanjay Dutt (actor) in a blockbuster movie titled Lage Raho Munna Bhai. This performance once again won her praise by the critics, as the movie became the 2nd highest grossing movie for that year.
Guru (by Mani Ratnam) was Vida’s 1st release for the year 2007, which saw her palying the character of a lady who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis. Her role in the film was highly appreciated and the movie did well. Next, she was seen featuring in films like Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love (in the year 2007) & Eklavya: The Royal Guard (in the year 2007). These movies grossed more than Rs. 180 million & Eklavya was chosen as the  official entry by India into the Oscars for the 80th Academy Awards.
Vidya was again seen in commercial blockbusters the next year with Heyy Babyy (in the year 2007) & Bhool Bhulaiyaa (in the year 2007), where once again her roles were noteworthy and appreciated.
In the year 2009, Vidya was seen in one of her best performances till date with the movie titled Paa. Vidya was seen as a young & independent gynecologist in the film who’s also the single-parent who struggles with a 12year son who suffers from the Progeria syndrome. The role of the sick child named ‘auro’ was played by Amitabh Bachchan. The movie was received glowingly by the critics and Balan’s performance was given due credit. Beautiful reviews were showered upon Vidya for her performance in Paa…. People said that she effortlessly slips into the role of a loving & devoted mother without the overprotective tone that the majority of Bollywood’s youthful mothers frequently resort to….
Some said that Vidya’s role was touching yet restrained…that she was successful in projecting the remarkable figure of refinement and honor, reminiscent of actress Dimple Kapadia (1980’s).
The T.O.I wrote that Vidya lends an unusual poise to the picture of Bollywood’s mom’s. She performs with quiet elegance and controlled emotion…as though she is the Mother Courage incarnation.
Her exposé ultimately earned her the Best Actress Filmfare Award & the Best Actress Star Screen Award, amongst other awards.
Vidya was next seen in the drama titled Ishqiya in the year 2010. This was the 1st feature which was an Abhishek Chaubey direction where she co-starred with Arshad Warsi & Naseeruddin Shah. Vidya played the role of a 30 year old widow, Krishna Verma, who lives in a village. She was portrayed as the femme fatale, the role won her great applaud by the critics. Anupama Chopra from NDTV wrote that vidya’s blazing looks scorched the silver screen even when her eyes suggested tragedy.
In the year 2011, vidya’s first movie was No One Killed Jessica (by Raj Kumar Gupta) together with Rani Mukerji. She played the role of Sabrina Lal’s younger sister who is glaringly plain and somber, unlike her sensational, merrymaking sister named Sabrina. Vidya was seen wearing dull clothing throughout the movie alongwith spectacles, she portrayed the picture of strength and anguish, all together.
It’s believed that she’ll be featuring in a Vibhu Puri direction Chenab Gandhi which will be a Sanjay Leela Bhansali production which will center on Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, who was acknowledged as the Frontier Gandhi. Commencing January 2011, Vidya is planning to be a part of The Dirty Picture, which is a biopic that is based upon Silk Smitha’s (Indian actress) life and her death.
Filmography/ Career Chart
1)      Bhalo Theko, in the year 2003, as Anandi. This was a Bengali film
2)      Parineeta, in the year 2005, as Lalita. Vidya won the Best Debut (Female) Award- Filmfare Awards & was nominated for the Best Actress- Filmfare Awards
3)      Lage Raho Munna Bhai, in the year 2006, as Jhanvi
4)      Guru, in the year 2007, as Meenu Saxena
5)      Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love, in the year 2007, as Tehzeeb Raina
6)      Eklavya: The Royal Guard, in the year 2007, as Rajeshwari
7)      Heyy Babyy, in the year 2007, as Isha
8)      Bhool Bhulaiyaa, in the year 2007, as Avni/Manjulika.  Vidya was Nominated for the Best Actress- Filmfare Awards
9)      Om Shanti Om, in the year 2007, as Herself in a         Special appearance
10)  Halla Bol, in the year 2008, as Sneha
11)  Kismat Konnection, in the year 2008, as         Priya
12)  Paa, in the year            2009, as Vidya. She won the Award for the Best Actress for this film- Filmfare Awards
13)  Ishqiya, in the year 2010, as Krishna Verma. Vidya won the Filmfare Critics for Best Actress & was nominated for the Best Actress- Filmfare Awards
14)  No One Killed Jessica, in the year 2011, as Sabrina Lal
15)  Urumi , in the year 2011, as Makkom. This was a       Malayalam film
16)  Thank You , in the year 2011
17)  Dum Maaro Dum, in the year 2011, as Mrs. Kamath in a Cameo appearance
18)  Kahani which is being filmed.
19)  The Dirty Picture, as Silk Smitha.
Nominations & Awards
Filmfare Awards- Won
2006: for the Best Debut (Female) Award for the film Parineeta
2006: Face of the Year- Filmfare for the film Parineeta
2010: Best Actress – Filmfare Award for the film Paa
2011: Best Actress (for Critics’ Choice) for the film Ishqiya
Filmfare Awards- Nominations
2006: for the Best Actress Filmfare Award for the film Parineeta
2008: for the Best Actress Filmfare Award for the film Bhool Bhulaiyaa
2011: for the Best Actress Filmfare Award for the film Ishqiya
Star Screen Awards-Won
2006: for the Most Promising Female Newcomer for the film Parineeta
2010: for the Best Actress for the film Paa
2011: for the Best Actress for the film Ishqiya
Zee Cine Awards- Won
2006: for the Best Debut- Female for the film Parineeta
2011: for the Best Female Actor  for the film Ishqiya
Zee Cine Awards- Nominations
2006: for the Best Female Actor  for the film Parineeta
International Indian Film Academy Awards- Won
2006: for the Best Debut- Female for the film Parineeta
2010: for the Best Female Actor  for the film Paa (she shared this with actress Kareena Kapoor)
International Indian Film Academy Awards- Nomination
2007: for the Best Female Actor  for the film Lage Raho Munnabhai
2008: for the Best Female Actor  for the film Bhool Bhulaiyaa
2008: for the Best Female villian  for the film Bhool Bhulaiyaa
2008: for the Best Female Actor  in a supporting role for the film Guru
Stardust Awards- Won
2006: for the Superstar (Female) of Tomorrow for the film Parineeta
Stardust Awards- Nominations
2008: for the Best Female Actor  in a supporting role for the film Guru
2011: for the Star (Female) of the Year for the film Ishqiya
2011: the Award  for the Readers’ Choice for the Best Actress (in a Thriller/Action) for the film Ishqiya
Apsara Film and Television Producers Guild Awards- Won
2005: for an Outstanding Debut for the film Parineeta
2010: for the Best Actress for the film Paa
2011: for the Best Actress (Leading Role)  for the film Ishqiya
Additional Awards
2004: for the Best Actress for the film Bhalo Theko at the Anandalok Puraskar Awards
2006: Sabsey Favourite Nayi Heroine for the film  Parineeta at Star’s awards
2007: for the Best Hindi Actress for the film Bhool Bhulaiyaa- Anandalok Puraskar Awards
2010: for the Best Actress for the film  Paa at Lions Gold Awards
2010: for the Best Actress in the film Paa at ‘FICCI Frames 2010′ Excellence Awards
2011: for the Best Female Actor (Lead Role) for the film Ishqiya at the Global Indian Film & Television Honors
2011: Female Actor of the year at the NDTV Indian of the year awards
Trivia – Vidya Balan
She is a Tamilian and belongs to Kerala. Vidya hails from Iyer community from Palghat, which is on the borders of Kerala & Tamil Nadu.
She’s done her school education from the St. Antony’s School and then from St. Xavier’s College from where she majored in Sociology.
She was listed as # 8 of the ‘Top Bollywood Actresses’ in the year 2006.

Vidya Balan Biography

Vidya Balan Biography
Vidya Balan (born 1 January 1978) is an Indian actress, who appears in Hindi films. After graduating with a degree in sociology, Vidya Balan started her career starring in music videos, television shows and commercials, before appearing in feature films.


Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan made her movie debut in the Bengali film, Bhalo Theko in 2003. She later made her Hindi film debut with Parineeta (2005), which earned her a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut as well as her first Best Actress nomination at the same ceremony. She subsequently essayed a variety of character roles, receiving her first commercial success with Rajkumar Hirani's Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006). She subsequently appeared in such films as Guru (2007), Heyy Babyy and Bhool Bhulaiya (both 2008), the latter earning her another Filmfare nomination.

In 2009 she appeared as a single mother of a child suffering from progeria in R. Balki's Paa, her performance in which ultimately won her a Best Actress award at Filmfare. 2010 saw the release of Ishqiya, starring Balan in a role for which she was praised and awarded, and a year later she followed it with two acclaimed portrayals of real-life characters—Sabrina Lal and Silk Smitha—in the biopics No One Killed Jessica and The Dirty Picture, respectively.

Early life
Vidya Balan was born in Ottapalam, Palakkad District, Kerala, to P. R. Balan (Vice President of ETC Channel) and a housewife mother in a Tamil speaking Palakkad Iyer family. According to Vidya Balan, they speak at home "a mix of Tamil and Malayalam", but she is also well versed in Hindi, English and Bengali.

Vidya Balan did her schooling at St. Anthony Girls' High School, Chembur, Mumbai, and later attended St. Xavier's College where she majored in Sociology. She went on to study MA at the University of Mumbai, when she got her first film offer.

Career
Her acting career started when she signed up for the Malayalam film Chakram, alongside Mohanlal but the film was shelved. After that, she signed for the Tamil film, Run, but for reasons undisclosed, she was dropped after a first schedule and replaced by Meera Jasmine. When Chakram was restarted with Prithviraj in the lead, Meera Jasmine was chosen ahead of Vidya Balan again.

She then turned to television advertising. From 1998 onwards, she appeared in numerous television ads, many of which were directed by Pradeep Sarkar. She also took supporting roles in music videos, appearing with singers and bands such as Euphoria, Shubha Mudgal, and Pankaj Udhas. Balan also portrayed the role of Radhika Mathur in a few episodes of the later seasons of Hum Paanch.


Vidya Balan
In 2003, she appeared in the Bengali film, Bhalo Theko directed by Goutam Halder, for which she won the Anandalok Puraskar Best Actress award in Kolkata. Vidya Balan next made her Hindi film debut in Parineeta. Her performance in that film was acclaimed by critics, earning her a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award and a nomination for Filmfare Best Actress Award. After the success of her first two films, the producer who dropped her from Manasellam was keen to sign her opposite Kamal Hassan for Dasavathaaram but she rejected the offer and Asin Thottumkal was signed instead. In 2006, she appeared opposite Sanjay Dutt in the blockbuster film Lage Raho Munna Bhai. Once again her performance was well received by critics and the film became the second highest grossing film of that year.

Mani Ratnam's Guru was Balan's first release in 2007, in which she played a woman suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. The film performed well at the box office. and her role was appreciated. Her next two releases were Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love (2007) and Eklavya: The Royal Guard (2007) which grossed over Rs. 180 million; Eklavya was selected as India's official entry to the Oscars for the 80th Academy Awards. Balan's last two releases of the year, Heyy Babyy (2007) and Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), were both commercial hits. Her portrayal of Avani, a woman suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder, earned her a second Filmfare nomination.

In 2009, Vidya Balan played the role of Vidya, a young independent gynecologist who is also a single-mother struggling with her 12-year-old son's Progeria syndrome, in Paa. Amitabh Bachchan played Balan's son Auro. The film was received well by critics and so was Balan's performance. Sukanya Verma from Rediff wrote, "Vidya Balan slips into the skin of a doting mom with such ease without the mollycoddling tone Bollywood's young mothers often resort to. Balan is poignant yet restrained and projects an impressive figure of grace and integrity, reminiscent of Dimple Kapadia in the 1980s."; Nikhat Kazmi from The Times of India noted, "Balan lends a rare dignity to the image of the Bollywood mom. With her quiet grace and controlled emotions, she is Mother Courage incarnate." Her portrayal ultimately won her a Filmfare Award for Best Actress and a Star Screen Award for Best Actress, among other awards.

Vidya Balan next acted in the 2010 drama Ishqiya, the first feature directed by Abhishek Chaubey and co-starring Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi. Balan's role was that of Krishna Verma, a 30-year old widowed village woman. Her character was described as a femme fatale, and her performance was applauded by critics, with NDTV's Anupama Chopra writing, "Balan’s smoldering looks scorch the screen even as her eyes hint at tragedy. She proves that she is miles ahead of the cookie cutter Barbie dolls that clutter Bollywood and that sensuality has very little to do with showing skin." Her work in the film brought her several more awards the following year. She won a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress and received a second consecutive Star Screen Award, among others.

Balan's first release in 2011 was Raj Kumar Gupta's No One Killed Jessica alongside Rani Mukerji, a semi-biographic film based on the Jessica Lal murder case. Vidya Balan played the first real-life character of her career, that of Sabrina Lal, Jessica's reticent sister who struggled for years to get justice for her sister, as the murderer was cleared of all accusations because he was the son of a wealthy politician. No One Killed Jessica as well as Balan's work earned mostly positive reviews, with Anupama Chopra commenting, "Unlike her glamorous, party-girl sister Jessica, Sabrina is painfully plain and sober. Wearing drab clothes and spectacles, Vidya is a portrait of anguish and strength." In March 2011 Vidya Balan was honoured with a retrospective of her work by Australia's Indian film festival, Bollywood & Beyond, during which she also introduced the opening night Australian premiere of No One Killed Jessica with director Raj Kumar Gupta.


Vidya Balan
December 2011 saw the release of The Dirty Picture, a biopic based on the life and death of the controversial Indian actress Silk Smitha. Vidya Balan was cast as Silk, who was—in Balan's words—"known for her brazenness and in-your-face sexuality." She described the role as the "boldest" she had ever played, one that "required a lot of mental preparation," and in order to look the part, she gained 12 KGs. The film opened to major critical acclaim, and Vidya Balan received unanimous praise for her portrayal, which several reviewers regarded as her best performance to date. Khalid Mohamed observed, "She’s extraordinary: gutsy, consistently in character and unafraid of exposing her darker side. Here’s the kind of complex performance which you haven’t evidenced in years and years. This award-winning act bookended by her contrasting portrayal in No One Killed Jessica, reaffirms her as the finest artiste on the scene today."



As of December 2011, Vidya Balan is set to star in Chenab Gandhi, directed by Vibhu Puri and produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, which centers around Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, also known as Frontier Gandhi.

Vidya Balan biography

Vidya Balan was born in Kerala on January 01, 1982,now that calls for a new year celebration. She has been a very popular face in Television commercials and Music videos, who can get over the “Tanha Dil” music video by Shaan.
She started her career as an actresses in Malayalam movies and made her debut in bollywood with her first film Parineeta, her role was noticeable through out the story. Pradeep Sarkar has been a common factor through out her television commercial and movie roles.
Vidya’s role was admirable in the movie “Lage Raho Munna bhai” which was a mega hit, it’s difficult to make conclusion on her popularity against the likes of Sanjay Dutt who has been the lead role for the movie. “Good Morning Mumbai” will remain in the hearts of all Vidya Balan fan and one can be rest a sure that the fan list is just going grow by a few million more. Her fans are awaiting the next release “Guru” which is directed by Mani Ratnam who has been a Guru in himself.
Vidya as an actress has lot to promise and her fans won’t be disappointed.

Vidya Balan Latest Biography

Date of Birth :
January 1, 1982
Education : St. Antony’s School and St. Xavier’s College
Family : Father – P R Balan (Vice-President of ETC   channel), Mother (House maker), Elder Sister.
City : Palghat, Kerala
Occupation : Bollywood actress and Fashion Model
Debut Film : Parineeta
Languages : Tamil, Hindi, English, Malayalam, Bengali
Awards :
Star Screen Award Most Promising Newcomer – Female, Parineeta (2005),
Filmfare Best Debut Award, Parineeta (2005)
Zee Cine Award Best Female Debut, Parineeta (2005)
IIFA Award Best Female Debut, Parineeta (2005)
Stardust Superstar of Tomorrow – Female, Parineeta (2005).
Biography
Vidya Balan is a Tamilian from Kerala. She is from the Iyer community. She comes from a middleclass family from Palghat, on the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.Vidya did her schooling from St Antony’s School and later on joined St Xavier’s College from where she graduated in sociology.
When she was doing her MA from Mumbai University, she was offered a role in a Malayalam film titled Chakram with Mohanlal, one of Vidya’s favorite actors. However, the project was shelved mid-way and Vidya had to wait for few more years to make her movie debut.
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.
Hanste Khelte and Ektaa Kapoor’s Hum Paanch.
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 had to go through 40 screen tests and 17 make-up shoots before she was finally chosen for the lead role in the film.
Vidya has a very traditional Indian look in contrast to most of today’s Bollywood starlets. She is associated with AmFar (Americans for AIDSResearch) 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.

Actress Vidya Balan Profile

Profile:
Name: Vidya Balan
Date Of Birth: 1 January 1978
Place Of Birth: Ottapalam, Kerala, India
Occupation: Actress

Biography:
Vidya Balan is an Indian actress, who appears mainly in Hindi films, in addition to Bengali and Malayalam films. After graduating with a degree in sociology, she started her career starring in music videos, television shows and commercials, before making her feature film debut with the independent Bengali drama Bhalo Theko (2003). Balan received positive notice for her first Hindi film, Parineeta (2005), and followed it with a leading role in the blockbuster Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), and other such hit films as Guru, Heyy Babyy and Bhool Bhulaiyaa (all 2007). 2009 marked the beginning of the most successful period in Balan’s career as she portrayed five back-to-back roles to wide critical acclaim in Paa (2009), Ishqiya (2010), No One Killed Jessica (2011), The Dirty Picture (2011) and Kahaani (2012). These roles have further established her as one of the leading contemporary actresses of Hindi cinema and earned her several major awards.

Early Life:
Vidya Balan was born in India in Ottapalam, Palakkad District, Kerala, to P. R. Balan (Vice President of ETC Channel) and Saraswathy Balan, a housewife mother in a Tamil speaking[5] family. According to Balan, they speak at home “a mix of Tamil and Malayalam”, but she is also well versed in Hindi, Marathi, English and Bengali. She did her schooling at St. Anthony Girls’ High School, Chembur, Mumbai, and later attended St. Xavier’s College where she majored in Sociology. She went on to study MA at the University of Mumbai, when she received her first film offer.

Early career:
Her acting career started when she was signed to appear in the Malayalam film Chakram, alongside Mohanlal but the film was shelved. After that, she was signed for a Tamil film, Run, but for reasons undisclosed, she was dropped after a first schedule and replaced by Meera Jasmine. When Chakram was restarted with Prithviraj in the lead, Meera Jasmine was chosen ahead of Balan again. Balan was dropped from her second Tamil film Manasellam opposite Srikanth, on the grounds of ‘non-performance’ and was replaced by Trisha Krishnan.

She then turned to television advertising. From 1998 onwards, she appeared in numerous television ads, many of which were directed by Pradeep Sarkar. She also took supporting roles in music videos, appearing with singers and bands such as Euphoria, Shubha Mudgal, and Pankaj Udhas. Balan also portrayed the role of Radhika Mathur in a few episodes of the first season of Hum Paanch, but was later replaced by Amita Nangia at the end of the first season.

Turning point, 2005-present:
In 2003, she appeared in the Bengali film, Bhalo Theko directed by Goutam Halder, for which she won the Anandalok Puraskar Best Actress award in Kolkata. Balan next made her Hindi film debut in the critically acclaimed Parineeta. Her performance in that film was acclaimed by critics, earning her a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award and a nomination for Filmfare Best Actress Award. After the success of her first two films, the same producer who dropped her from Manasellam was keen to sign her opposite Kamal Hassan for Dasavathaaram but she rejected the offer and Asin Thottumkal was signed instead. In 2006, she appeared opposite Sanjay Dutt in the blockbuster film Lage Raho Munna Bhai. Once again her performance was well received by critics and the film went on to become the second highest grossing film of that year.
Mani Ratnam’s critically acclaimed Guru was Balan’s first release in 2007, in which she played a woman suffering from Multiple sclerosis. The film did very well at the box office and her role was appreciated. Her next two releases, Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love (2007) and Eklavya: The Royal Guard (2007) failed to do well but the latter was selected as India’s official entries to the Oscars for the 80th Academy Awards. Balan’s last two releases of the year, Heyy Babyy (2007) and Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007) fared very well at the box office.


Vidya Balan attends to Launch Kahaani Movie Home Video
Her performance in Paa was highly appreciated and her performance in the film won her the Filmfare Best Actress Award and Star Screen Award for Best Actress. Her next release was Ishqiya, where she played a very different role, also got excellent reviews. Her current project is entitled Chenab Gandhi directed by Vibhu Puri and written by Bhavani Iyer, who also wrote for Black. A departure from romance, this songless film revolves around three characters played by Amitabh Bachchan, Rajeev Khandelwal and Vidya Balan and centers around Indian freedom fighter, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, also known as Frontier Gandhi. Director Nikhil Advani announced in late January 2009 that he is to work with Vidya. Chand Bhai will be the title of this film and Akshay Kumar will co-star. The film is based on juvenile delinquency. Balan is also set to star in UTV Spotboy’s No One Killed Jessica alongside Rani Mukerji.

Personal life:
During an interview in May 2012, Balan announced that she was dating Siddharth Roy Kapur, the CEO of UTV Motion Pictures.


Vidya Balan attends at Kahaani painting event in Cinemax
Filmography:
2013 – Milte Hain ( Hindi )
2013 – Suryamukhi ( Hindi )
2013 – Chenab Gandhi ( Hindi )
2013 – Dhamaal 2 ( Hindi )
2013 – Chand Bhai ( Hindi )
2012 – Bihaad ( Hindi )
2012 – Urumi ( Tamil )
2012 – Great Dadu ( Hindi )
2012 – Arival Chuttika Nakshathram ( Malayalam )
2012 – Ferrari Ki Sawaari ( Hindi )
2012 – Kahaani ( Hindi )
2011 – No One Killed Jessica ( Hindi )
2001 – Urmmi ( Hindi )
2011 – Thank You ( Hindi )
2011 – Dum Maaro Dum ( Hindi )
2011 – The Dirty Picture ( Hindi )
2010 – Ishqiya ( Hindi )
2009 – Paa ( Hindi )
2008 – Kismat Konnection ( Hindi )
2008 – Halla Bol ( Hindi )
2007 – Om Shanti Om ( Hindi )
2007 – Bhool Bhulaiyaa ( Hindi )
2007 – Salaam-E-Ishq ( Hindi )
2007 – Heyy Baby ( Hindi )
2007 – Guru ( Hindi )
2007 – Eklavya ( Hindi )
2006 – Lage Raho Munna Bhai ( Hindi )
2005 – Parineeta ( Hindi )
2003 – Bhalo Theko ( Hindi )


Vidya Balan awards
Awards:
Filmfare Awards
Won
2006: for the Best Debut (Female) Award for the film Parineeta
2006: Face of the Year- Filmfare for the film Parineeta
2010: Best Actress – Filmfare Award for the film Paa
2011: Best Actress (for Critics’ Choice) for the film Ishqiya
Nominations
2006: for the Best Actress Filmfare Award for the film Parineeta
2008: for the Best Actress Filmfare Award for the film Bhool Bhulaiyaa
2011: for the Best Actress Filmfare Award for the film Ishqiya

Star Screen Awards
Won
2006: for the Most Promising Female Newcomer for the film Parineeta
2010: for the Best Actress for the film Paa
2011: for the Best Actress for the film Ishqiya

Zee Cine Awards
Won
2006: for the Best Debut- Female for the film Parineeta
2011: for the Best Female Actor  for the film Ishqiya
Nominations
2006: for the Best Female Actor  for the film Parineeta

International Indian Film Academy Awards
Won
2006: for the Best Debut- Female for the film Parineeta
2010: for the Best Female Actor  for the film Paa (she shared this with actress Kareena Kapoor)
Nomination
2007: for the Best Female Actor  for the film Lage Raho Munnabhai
2008: for the Best Female Actor  for the film Bhool Bhulaiyaa
2008: for the Best Female villian  for the film Bhool Bhulaiyaa
2008: for the Best Female Actor  in a supporting role for the film Guru

Stardust Awards
Won
2006: for the Superstar (Female) of Tomorrow for the film Parineeta
Nominations
2008: for the Best Female Actor  in a supporting role for the film Guru
2011: for the Star (Female) of the Year for the film Ishqiya
2011: the Award  for the Readers’ Choice for the Best Actress (in a Thriller/Action) for the film Ishqiya

Apsara Film and Television Producers Guild Awards
Won
2005: for an Outstanding Debut for the film Parineeta
2010: for the Best Actress for the film Paa
2011: for the Best Actress (Leading Role)  for the film Ishqiya

Additional Awards
2004: for the Best Actress for the film Bhalo Theko at the Anandalok Puraskar Awards
2006: Sabsey Favourite Nayi Heroine for the film  Parineeta at Star’s awards
2007: for the Best Hindi Actress for the film Bhool Bhulaiyaa- Anandalok Puraskar Awards
2010: for the Best Actress for the film  Paa at Lions Gold Awards
2010: for the Best Actress in the film Paa at ‘FICCI Frames 2010′ Excellence Awards
2011: for the Best Female Actor (Lead Role) for the film Ishqiya at the Global Indian Film & Television Honors
2011: Female Actor of the year at the NDTV Indian of the year awards