Vidya Balan says she did not ‘consciously’ set out to break stereotypes in Bollywood

Vidya Balan says she did not ‘consciously’ set out to break stereotypes in Bollywood
Vidya Balan says she did not ‘consciously’ set out to break stereotypes in Bollywood

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan has been amongst the few actors in the industry, who challenged Bollywood stereotypes with their choice of roles. 

The actress has lived out her characters with power-packed performances in films such as The Dirty Picture, Paa, Kahaani, Tumhari Sulu and Shakuntala Devi.

Vidya, who is all set for the release of her upcoming film Sherni, with director Amit Masurkar, will be seen breaking the patriarchal stereotypes once again, as she will be playing the role of a forest officer.

Recalling her experience in the Indian cinema, the Mission Mangal actress revealed in an interview with an Indian media outlet, that she did not set to break those challenges in the industry. "I did not set out to break stereotypes but I think through my experiences in life, especially as an actor, I have realized I am not going to let anything come in the way of me being an actor," said Vidya.

The actress, who has been honored with a National Award and a Padma Shri for her outstanding contributions towards the Indian cinema, further added, "So if you tell me, I am too short to be an actor, too fat to be an actor, I am too bold to be an actor, I am too brazen or too intelligent or whatever, I am just saying random things, I cannot change who I am but I can still find my way."

"My passion for what I do has seen me through because I really can't change anything about myself, so I did not set out to break stereotypes. I just said if it doesn't work, too bad it has to work, because I am going to make it work. It has to work because I want to be an actor," said the 42-year-old actress.

"So, I think those stereotypes were challenged not consciously but probably unconsciously," she said. Currently, the Bhool Bhulaiya actress has been waiting for the release of Sherni. The is scheduled for a digital release on June 18 on Amazon Prime Video.