| Name | Vidya Balan |
|
| Meaning of her name | Means "wisdom" and "knowledge" in Sanskrit. |
| Profession | Actress, Fashion Model |
| Date of Birth | 1st January 1978 |
| Birth Place | Ottapalam, Kerala, India |
| Height | 5' 4" |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Mother Tongue | Tamil |
| Sign | Capricorn |
| Family | Father – P.R. Balan (Vice-President of ETC channel)
Sister – Priya |
| Languages known | Tamil, Hindi, English, Malayalam, Bengali, Urdu |
| Education | * St. Antony's School
* St. Xavier's College -Degree in Sociology
* Master's Degree in Sociology from Mumbai University
* Studied and performed at Prithvi Theatre Workshops. |
| Debut | * Ad film : Surf Excel commercial in 1998
* Film : Hindi - Parineeta with Saif Ali khan (2005)
Bengali - Bhaalo Theko |
| Malayalam debut | Her debut movie would have been the malayalam movie, Chakram paired against Mohanlal. But the movie was shelved. |
| Tamil films | She was signed for 2 tamil movies 'Run' and 'Manasellam'. But later dropped out for unknown reasons. |
| Rose To Fame | As Lolita in 'Parineeta' and in Lage Raho Munna Bhai |
| Music Videos | * Euphoria
* Shubha Mudgal
* Pankaj Udhas |
| TV | Had done TV soaps like Hanste Khelte and Hum Paanch. |
| Awards | Anand Lok Puraskar Awards
* Movie name : Bhaalo Theko
* Category : Best Actress
Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Awards
* Movie name : Parineeta (2005)
* Category : Promising Talent of the Year
Filmfare Awards
* Movie name : Parineeta (2005)
* Category : Best Debut
* Movie name : Parineeta (2005)
* Category : Face of the Year
International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards
* Movie name : Parineeta (2005)
* Category : Best Female Debut
Zee Cine Award
* Movie name : Parineeta (2005)
* Category : Best Female Debut
Stardust Award
* Movie name : Parineeta (2005)
* Category : Superstar of Tomorrow - Female |
| Music | Trained in Carnatic music. |
| Dream co-star | Shah Rukh Khan |
| Dream date | George Clooney |
| Favourites | Attire : Sari
Hero : Amitabh Bachchan, Mohan Lal
Heroine : Madhuri Dixit
Romantic Films : Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Dil Se and One Fine Day.
Food : Anything cooked by her mother
Journey : Holidaying with her family
One- liner : To each his own
Spice : Adrak
Perfume: Elizabeth Arden
Beverage: coffee
Sweets: cakes and chikkis.
Singers:Shivkumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia to Shubha Mudgal and Kishori Amonkar. |
| Dislikes | Negativity or pessimism, Arrogance, Men who think they are the best gift to womankind. |
| Inspiration | Shabana Azmi |
| Religion | * Very religious. Visits temples often.* A firm devotee of Shirdi Sai Baba.
* For peace of mind she always carries the pictures of Mata Amritanandmayi and Sai Baba. |
| I-pod | Her Ipod is loaded with old Hindi songs - R D Burman tracks and songs from Earth, Masoom. |
| Hobbies | * Reading all of Paulo Coelho's books
* Reading poetry
* Listening to nice classical music
* Watching films. |
| Charity | * Involved with promoting children's books where the proceeds go towards educating kids.
* Amfar the Foundation for AIDS Research.
* Hale House a home for children born with HIV and drug addiction.
* Harvard AIDS Institute by hosting forums and participating in events throughout the year.
* Project Reaching for the Stars - a new global effort to help raise funding for the education of some of Pakistan's poorest and most disadvantaged children. |
| Facts | * A Tamilian Iyer from Kerala.
* Has done 25 TV Ads.
* Most of her ad films were directed by Pradeep Sarkar.
* She took 40 screen tests and 17 make-up shoots before being finalised in Parineeta.
* Her brother-in-law is her biggest critic.
* Was listed as number 8 in 'Top Bollywood Actresses' of 2006. |
| About her | Amitabh Bachchan (Actor & Producer) :
Vidya is a wonderful artist. She has great screen presence. Hers is definitely a fresh face coupled with a wonderful demeanor. Who cares what rank she will hold as long as she keeps making good cinema. She has magic in her face and incredible presence. When she appears onscreen, you don't want to watch anyone else. She's a breath of fresh air in the industry. She is a face to watch out for.
Govinda (Actor) :
When I saw Vidya in Parineeta, I felt she looks very real. I was amazed at her potential; it didn't seem like she was acting at all. She's a natural. She doesn't look pretentious.
John Abraham (Model & Actor) :
Vidya Balan is sweet.
Karan Johar (Director, Producer & Presenter) :
Vidya has "eyes" that speak.
Madhuri Dixit (Actress) :
Vidya Balan is fantastic. I have seen Vidya Balan in Parineeta and I thought she did a wonderful job for someone who's making her debut. I think she has the makings of a great actress. You feel with her and that's very important for an actress.
Pradeep Sarkar (Writer & Director) :
She electrifies the screen...her eyes alone can emote anything from tears to trauma, laughter to life.
Rakeysh Mehra (Director, Producer & Writer) :
Art has no number only races do. Vidya has captivated me for a long time and I had wanted to cast her in Samjhauta Express ever 5 to 6 years ago. She was very good in Parineeta but, I really fell that it's only the tip of the iceberg. There's so much to show.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra (Director & Producer) :
She looks stunning.
Vipul Shah (Director, Producer & Writer) :
The last couple of years have thrown up a lot of newcomers but Vidya seems one of the most promising. She is a very good actress but whether she will be Number 1 depends on the success of her films. I really hope that she doesn't get typecast in typical Indian roles. |
| About herself | A woman in every sense |
| Life's Mantra | What the mind conceives and believes in, it can achieve. |
| Address | Ambedkar Garden, Chembur |
| Quote | When everyone says good things about you, you have to be careful that your feet remain on the ground. Acting is my passion, it makes me happy. And I want to be just that - happy |
