When we learnt that Vidya Balan is going to be MW’s June cover star, we were bubbling with questions. After all, how often do you get to interact with a star as unabashed as her these days? Sherni is her latest outing on Amazon Prime Video, an Amit Masurkar film that has been shot in the jungle, and focuses on the man-animal conflict. As we researched, we went down a rabbit hole of her achievements, since her career has clearly been all about changing typical narratives in so many ways. Not that we needed to check her filmography to establish that everything Balan has done is downright impressive.
When Balan donned the gorgeous Bengali avatar for Parineeta after her geeky Radhika in Hum Paanch and the many commercials she did, we all sat up, and took notice. Her Manjulika from Bhool Bhulaiyaa couldn’t have been as impactful if it wasn’t for Balan. She changed the mould the world had assumed for her by doing the most bold role of her career in The Dirty Picture, and Kahaani onwards, she has carried her films on her shoulders, and delivered hits like Tumhari Sulu, and Shakuntala Devi.
Not just films, as an actor and as a person who many people look up to, she has been unapologetically herself. Be it body shaming, her relationships, her equations with other co-stars or even the issues that concern the industry, Balan has always spoken her heart out. She knows what she deserves, and has never settled for anything less than that. When people telling her how she should dress annoyed her, she damn well made sure they knew it. She is a powerhouse, and you feel that energy when you talk to her, or see her on screen. She has made her own path — one that many can follow — and told stories that she knew will resonate with her audience, and well, that is what, amongst many things, makes her Vidya Balan.
What about Sherni made you say yes?
This story is from the June 2021 edition of Man's World.
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This story is from the June 2021 edition of Man's World.
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