One of the most talented actresses among the new
lot, Vidya Balan dismisses romantic link-ups with her "Salaam-e-Ishq"
co-star John Abraham saying she hasn't found Mr. Right yet.
"We got along well enough for people to notice. But an affair!
Have a heart! I haven't found a man I'd like to spend my life with.
When he comes along, I'll give up everything, career included. Do
you think I'd risk that kind of commitment at this stage of my career
when things are going well?"
So what's the truth about John?
"We just got along well shooting 'Salaam-e-Ishq', as we were
supposed to. So maybe people saw us getting along well and made up
their own screenplay. From the little I know of Bipasha Basu, she's
a no-nonsense honest person. She won't take such rubbish lying down,"
Vidya told IANS.
She was also linked with Sanjay Dutt.
"Poor thing! He's become so self-conscious after our link-up
stories, he mumbles a hello and moves away."
Vidya says she knows how the story of her so-called affair with Sanjay
was planted.
"After interviewing me the journalist called the next day to
ask if something was up between me and Sanju. Obviously, the editor
must have said, 'Vidya not interesting enough. Masala maro.' I'd rather
be uninteresting than known for my link-ups," said Vidya who
had four releases in the past one year.
"After 'Lage Raho Munna Bhai', 'Eklayva' and 'Guru' last year,
the next year started for me with 'Salaam-e-Ishq'. There I played
this fey and feisty woman married to John Abraham."
Revealing the rare side to her personality which people don't notice
too often, she said: "I do have a sense of humour. That's why
I enjoyed doing 'Lage Raho...' so much. I had a ball shooting with
Sanju and Arshad."
In "Hey Baby" Vidya is cast as the baby's mother.
"I don't mind playing a mom if the role is as charming as the
one in 'Hey Baby'. In fact I've no reservations about anything. Just
bring on the challenging characters."
But it is Priyadarshan's "Chandramukhi" which would be
a big challenge for Vidya since she plays a classical dancer in it.
"Since I'm a Tamil Iyer Brahmin, I'm trained in Carnatic singing.
I was also trained in Bharatnatyam for a while but I lost interest.
Later I took up Kathak and got busy with other things. But I need
to brush up my dancing for 'Chandramukhi'. I've seen what Shobana
has done in the original Malayalam film. I adore Shobana. To match
steps with her would be impossible."
Isn't there a danger of Vidya getting typecast as the old-world heroine
after doing "Parineeta" and now "Chandramukhi"?
"I don't mind the era and aura as long as the role is challenging.
It's not as if I'm only playing old-world roles. In 'Lage Raho...'
and 'Salaam-e-Ishq' I'm very much a woman of today."
Though Vidya is pivotal to 'Lage Raho...' she admits she didn't have
that much to do in Vinod Chopra's 'Eklavya' and Mani Ratnam's 'Guru'.
"Just the thrill of working with directors like Vinod Chopra
and Mani Ratnam is enough incentive to be part of their films,"
she said.