Vidya Balan: For Me, It's Not About Looking But Being Sexy

Vidya Balan on shattering stereotypes and being fascinated by Indira Gandhi, the person, more than the persona.

Tumhari Sulu has struck a chord with the audience...

Yes, it has. A lady who recently separated from her husband took her two sons to watch the film and thanked me later for helping them realise her worth and the worth of her decision. Such reactions are so satisfying because I gave the nod to the film as soon as the narration ended, and that’s rarely happened. When I told the delighted writer, Suresh Triveni, this, he made me write it on his copy of the script. You may not identify with Sulu all the way, but there are moments that are definitely empathetic.

Yes, I had a moment of empathy too when everyone blames her and her job after her son, Pranav, is suspended from school, and puts pressure on Sulu to quit.

Every woman, no matter how successful, while juggling the roles of wife, mother, daughter, friend and a professional, feels personally responsible for her kids. It’s the kind of script you would expect a woman to write, that it was penned by a man makes it all the more special. There are subtle nuances in the relationship between Sulu and her husband Ashok, between her and her extended family who find it hard to accept that the black sheep has made good and compounds her problems, insisting she quit.

I thought it was important she go back to her job and continue working as a late-night radio jockey because she enjoys it. Eventually it boils down to choices, which often is subtly forced upon us by pointing fingers. Also, even when she wasn’t working, Sulu is the decision maker in the family and Ashok is okay with her taking charge. It’s an equal partnership.

Equal partnership, isn’t that just a myth? How many husbands help out with the chores even if the wife is working?