Concert, Call, Career: How Enrique Iglesias Helped Launch Vidya Balan

While speaking to the Bombay Times, Balan recalls the most memorable night that changed her life forever: "My friend Pavitra and I were at Enrique’s concert in Mumbai in 2004, when director Pradeep Sarkar called me to offer Parineeta. We were trying to inch closer to the stage; my phone was off, and Enrique had gone off the stage between the songs. We were hoping to get to the front by the time he comes back to perform, and hoping he pulls me on stage. Around this time, Pradeep Dada must have called me, but he couldn’t get through, so he called Pavitra. He asked her, ‘Vidya kahan hai?’"

“Pavitra handed the phone to me. Dada told me that Vidhu Vinod Chopra wants to talk to me. I told him I was at a concert and could talk to him once I got out. By then, Mr Chopra came on the line and told me, ‘Vidya Balan, you need to get out of that venue and reach a quieter place where you can speak.’”

Reluctantly, Balan and her friend walked towards, not knowing what destiny had in store for them. "VVC told me then, ‘You are my Parineeta,’ and by then Enrique had come back on stage and sang Hero. While the song was always special to me, this moment sealed the deal for me. For me to receive this news when that song played, I couldn’t stop crying. My hands and legs were trembling. It is undoubtedly one of the most special moments of my life,” she revealed.

In retrospect, she regards it as more than a coincidence, almost poetic.

“I got my big movie break at Enrique’s concert. So, when people ask me if I am going to his concert, I jokingly say…I have completed 20 years in the movies. No wonder he’s coming back to celebrate that! It almost felt like the birth of me as a heroine happened at his show while he sang Hero,” she mentioned jokingly.

After her debut in "Parineeta" alongside Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt, Vidya Balan has amazed her audiences with her exceptional acting, script choices and bold choices.

From "The Dirty Picture, Kahaani, Ishqiya, Parineeta, Paa," to "Tumhari Sulu", she has showcased her remarkable ability to adapt to diverse roles and deliver gripping performances.

Balan has received many accolades for her work, including the "National Film Award" and the "Padma Shri."

The spanish singer-songwriter, Enrique Iglesias’s long-awaited return to Mumbai has thrilled fans across the nation, as the global pop icon prepares to perform at the MMRDA Grounds on October 29 and 30, marking his first visit to India in 13 years.

The highly anticipated return of Spanish singer-songwriter Enrique Iglesias to Mumbai has thrilled fans across the nation, as the global pop star prepares to perform at the MMRDA Grounds on October 29 and 30, marking his first visit to India in 13 years.