‘Ganguabai Kathiawadi’: Vidya Balan expresses joy over how female-led film ‘rocked the box office’

Actor reflected on how the way women are represented on screen has changed for the better

Bollywood actor Vidya Balan is no stranger to playing strong and complex female characters. Known for her work in films such as The Dirty Picture, Ishqiya and Kahaani, Balan’s latest offering is the Amazon Prime Original Jalsa, which sees her in the character of a journalist. Speaking about the film with PTI, the actor shared how the way women are portrayed in Indian cinema has changed for the better, citing the recent success of Ali Bhatt-starrer Gangubai Kathiawadi.

Explaining how audiences are no longer interested in seeing the “perfect woman” on screen, Balan shared, “Previously, it was the perfect, ideal woman. Today, there is no ideal because [women] are being recognised as individuals in the world around us. Hence, there is much more variety that you are getting to see in representation of women on screen.” She continued, “Today in films, we are acknowledging the flaws… because we have realised that the extraordinary emerges from the ordinary. We are telling ordinary women’s stories.”

Speaking about Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi, which sees Alia Bhatt in the titular role, the Begum Jaan actor added, “There are other filmmakers, writers and actors who have done this. And we are all now, with every film, moving a step forward. Look at what is happening with Gangubai Kathiawadi. How amazing it is that after two years when theatres opened it is a female-led film that has rocked the box office!”

Reflecting on the “intimate stories” that have found a home on streaming platforms, Balan shared, “They are intimate, personal stories about ordinary people like you and me. It is not just larger-than-life heroes. It is you and me who are being represented on screen. You don’t have to do anything heroic but in your day-to-day life, you can be a hero. We are having that realisation in life and therefore you are seeing that onscreen.”

“I am a greedy actor and I want more and more people to watch my work. The intention is [that] my films should reach people all over the world,” she added about her preference for OTT platforms.