Vidya, real not reel - The Hindu

AP
Bollywood actor Vidya Balan.

It was the dexterity of the script in which fact and fiction appeared seamless that prompted her to do No One Killed Jessica, Vidya Balan tells.

Vidya Balan’s journey from the small screen to tinsel town was sudden and meteoric, and it has neither been easy nor has she had discounts. Balan has stumbled her way through the fashion police and one bad movie too many and did I mention the fashion police? But it is difficult to magnify her gaffes when she flashes one of those beatific smiles directly at you; a panacea of sorts. All is erased and the slate is clean again. You can only remember what you want to remember her for "Parineeta", "Ishqiya", "Paa" and of course the telly serial "Hum Paanch".

Balan was in the city for the promotion of her new film, "No One Killed Jessica", a film that has been inspired by the controversial killing of the model Jessica Lall. Balan plays Sabrina Lall, the sister and soldier who fought for the cause of justice for Jessica.

No copy cat

"I did not meet with Sabrina before the film. The way Sabrina has been portrayed in the film is on the basis of the script and my understanding and portrayal of the character," says Vidya who was in the city for a press conference. The director of the film Raj Kumar Gupta insisted that Vidya not meet Sabrina Lall until filming was complete. "Sabrina Lall today has emerged as a real life icon and she has already been through all the situations and emotions I had to go through in the film."

It was the dexterity of the script in which fact and fiction appeared seamless that prompted Vidya to do the film. "When I read the script I was aware that there was a certain amount of fiction that had been blended in with the facts, but you could not tell where it was. I think that is a mark of a successful script."

According to Vidya, the film gives the case dignity and charts the emotional journey of Sabrina Lall through an 11-year struggle for justice. Rani Mukherjee co-stars with Vidya Balan as the fiery journalist, Meera Gaitey, who helps Sabrina in her fight. "Working with Rani helped me do my job better," and contrary to what stars may say on "Koffee With Karan", these two ladies actually get along without any issues.

"This case has shown the people how potent the media can be and hence needs to be used judiciously. The media can influence opinion and that is a huge responsibility. This case is a positive example," she says about the trial by media.

"The first thing you think when you hear Sabrina’s story is, 'What an indomitable spirit!’ It is hard to fathom how she spearheaded a struggle she started alone but eventually inspired the media and the entire country to support her. It was this steadfast spirit of Sabrina’s that I found most challenging to portray. But the most difficult shot was when I hear that Jessica has been shot," says Vidya.

While Balan may have that girl-next-door vibe about her, she is, at the end of the day, an actress. She is also an actress who has been cast as Silk Smitha in Milan Luthria’s next project "The Dirty Picture", a film that has been loosely based on the life of Silk Smitha. "She is a very interesting personality for me to portray. I have thought of her attitude as very sexually offensive and it will be interesting trying to get under that skin," says Vidya, her face framed by a pair of tortoise shell glasses, wearing a beige cardigan, making it more difficult to imagine her as a sex symbol.