Vidya Balan

Vidya Balan is an actress in India. Known for pioneering reform in the representation of women in Hindi cinema, she has received many awards, including the National Film Award and six Filmfare Awards. She was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2014.

Vidya had a career in film from a young age and had her first acting appearance in the 1995 sitcom Hum Paanch. She studied sociology at the University of Mumbai and at the same time made several unsuccessful attempts to start a career in film. Subsequently, she appeared in tv advertisements and music videos. In 2003 she made her feature film debut with the independent Bengali drama Bhalo Theko. Subsequently, Vidya won acclaim for her first Hindi film, the drama Parineeta, and followed her with a leading role in the top-gross comedy film Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006).

This breakthrough was followed by roles in the romantic comedies Heyy Babyy (2007) and Kismat Konnection (2008) with mixed reviews. Vidya continued to play five consecutive critically acclaimed roles in Paa's 2009 film, Ishqiya's 2010 black comedy, No One Killed Jessica's 2011 semi-biographical thriller, The Dirty Picture's 2011 biopic, and Kahaani's 2012 thriller, winning numerous awards for each of them. She followed this with a series of films that did not perform well in the box office, while her performance in Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh (2016) was praised.It changed when she stared as a radio jockey in Tumhari Sulu (2017) and a scientist in Project Mangal (2019). The latter ranks as its highest-profile debut.

Vidya also supports charitable causes and encourages the empowerment of women. She is a member of the Indian Central Film Certification Board and hosts a radio show. She initially attracted criticism for her fluctuating weight and style of dress, but was later praised in the media for her unorthodox character. Vidya is married to Siddharth Roy Kapur, a film director.