Vidya Balan is one of the pioneers of bringing the new stream of female-led roles in Hindi cinema. Although her acting debut was in the 1995 sitcom Hum Panche, she made her mainstream film debut in 2003 with the Bengali cinema Bhalo Theko. Then in 2005, she started doing Hindi films through Parineeta. Along with it, the massive success of Lage Raho Munna Bhai in the following year bring her into the limelight. Since then she kept giving amazing movies one after another. Let's check out the top 5 movies of Vidya Balan, which made her who she is today.
Bollywood Star Vidya Balan’s 5 Most Popular Movies
Paa (2009)
This film is inspired by the 1996 Hollywood movie Jack, directed by R. Balki. Amitabh Bachchan plays the title role in this drama film portraying a boy who looks like an old man. The mother has to go through many ironies due to her son's rare genetic condition.
The whole story takes a more interesting turn when the boy infected with progeria learns that his father is a respectable man in the town. Abhishek Bachchan played the role of this father and Vidya Balan the mother. Although their relationship is father-son in real life, Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan play opposite roles here.
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The role of a single mother struggling with Progeria was quite challenging for Vidya. Initially, she felt a bit exaggerated about the character. Playing the mother of an actor as prestigious as Bachchan is a tough task, especially when he was 30 years older than her. Vidya won Star Screen Awards, IIFA Awards, and Filmfare Award for the first time in her life as Best Actress.
Ishqiya (2010)
Ishqiya is one of Vidya Balan's best works and it marks Abhishek Chaubey's directorial debut. Vidya's co-artists in this black comedy film were Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, and Salman Shahid.
Balan's character here was completely different from her other simple heroine roles. She portrayed the character of a seductive and sly village widow from Uttar Pradesh brilliantly. For the part, she adapted to the local dialect, which included some slang words as well.
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Not only Vidya Balan unleashed a sensational actress lying within herself, but it was also established through this that she is far ahead of other Barbie doll heroines in mainstream cinema.
This role let her bag many achievements. Most notable of these were the Big Star Entertainment Awards for Most Entertaining Female Film Actor, the Filmfare Awards for Best Actress at the Critics' Choice Awards, the Producers Guild Film and Screen Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and the Stardust Awards for best actress in Thriller or Action Role.
Kahaani (2012)
Kahaani is one of the films associated with Vidya Balan's name. Screenplay by Sujoy Ghosh and Advaita Kalar, this thriller film indulged to grow a captivating story. Here Balan was seen rummaging Kolkata for her missing husband despite being pregnant.
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Popular Kolkata actor Parambrata Chatterjee and the one and only Nawazuddin Siddiqui in supporting roles made the whole movie impeccable. Apart from the screenplay, the cinematography of the film and the performances of the lead actors garnered much praise from critics.