Mumbai: Not many know that during her struggling days, Vidya Balan’s films in the South never materialised. After signing her first Malayalam film opposite Mohan Lal which never happened,Vidya had signed a few more films here but none made it to the screens. She was tagged as “jinxed actor”.
Vidya was also approached for the biopic on Indira Gandhi and Meena Kumari. “I was keen on doing both but had requested the makers to get all the permissions beforehand. Eventually, it did not happen.”
And now comes the news that she’s walked out of the biopic on poetess Kamla Das. When she signed up for the film, Vidya was very excited and had started learning Malyalam too.
Hailing from Palakkad in Kerala, her family speaks a mix of Malayalam and Tamil. “I write my dialogues in Hindi as I am comfortable doing so. I will have to work hard on the language for this biopic because only if I lend my voice to the character will it be fun to play. I am excited to portray the role of poetess Kamla Das,” she had said in an interview. Balan’s official spokesperson stated the actor has quit the film as she and the director had divergent views.
Kamaluddin Mohammed, the shy-brilliant director of Malayalam cinema, who has delivered masterpieces like Celluloid, Gramohophone and Aggathan, feels Vidya’s act of walking out of the film without giving any valid reason, is “very unethical.”
“Just one week before the shoot,Vidya informed us she’s not doing it. She gave us no prior indications. It is unethical and doesn’t suit an actor of her stature. But I am not stressing over it. I’ll make the film with another fine artiste. This has been my dream project for years and one Vidya can’t take it away from me.”
With inputs from Subhash K Jha
