Vidya Balan shooting at Maidan for No One Killed Jessica. A Telegraph picture

What was the main reason for signing up for No One Killed Jessica? Was it director Raj Kumar Gupta or do you believe that the Jessica Lal murder case deserves a big Bollywood film?

I didn’t take it up for any reason beyond the film itself. When I was approached with the film, I really liked the script. I first asked Raj, why do you want to make this... everyone knows about it. And he said, please read the script. I read the script and I couldn’t put it down. It was so gripping! It’s not just a series of events that we know over the years, as shown by the media. There’s a certain emotional journey of the characters that the film delves into. And there’s the right balance between fictionalisation and reality. I found that balance very interesting. When I met him again, I saw this hunger in him to tell the story. Everything fell into place. UTV Spotboy came in as producer. They are the guys who make different and offbeat films and then make it commercially viable. That is very important. Because you want to do different kinds of cinema but you want it to be as accessible to as many people in the world as any big film. And beyond everything I follow my gut and my gut said, go ahead and do it.

It’s said that in a two-actress film, one actually counts how many lines of dialogue the other one has. Was there ever any insecurity with Rani around?

At the very outset I wanted to know why Raj wanted me for this role of Sabrina Lal and not the other role, of news reporter Meera Gaity. And he said, I need someone who can take me through that emotional journey, from being literally inconspicuous as a regular normal girl to being a real-life icon. He said, that transformation, that journey is something, I think, only you will be able to do. That was reassuring. I was extremely clear about what I was doing in the film. So there was never a question of competition or insecurity.

At some point of time, I got to know that Rani Mukerji is doing the other part. That was very exciting for me because as millions of people have said before me and millions will say after me, acting is about reacting. An actor like Rani betters your performance also. Especially in a performance-driven film like No One Killed Jessica, you needed two strong personalities. And I think we gave it our all and in every scene we did together, our only agenda was the scene itself. If we were fighting over one man in a film, maybe we would be insecure about how many lines one gets. Maybe, I am saying. Here there is no scope for that. We are completely different people in the film.

What was it like on the sets? Did you guys become friends?

I wouldn’t say that we are friends. Only because for me, the definition of friendship is a little more. It’s not here and now, it’s something that has been nurtured over years. It’s people from school and college. It takes time to build trust. Here, what we shared, I think, was a fantastic working equation. As actors, I think, the give-and-take was fabulous. We get along well... we have been having a great time during the promotions. People have been telling us that we complement each other so beautifully. There are times when she can’t find the right word and I fill in or vice versa.

I think people just can’t accept that two actresses can be hassle-free. Having said that, I am not saying that we are friends. But there is fondness, affection and, most importantly, respect.

Raj Kumar Gupta didn’t allow you to meet Sabrina Lal. In hindsight, do you think it would have helped?

No. The Sabrina in No One Killed Jessica is the Sabrina from 11 years ago, who was raw, who was vulnerable, who led a very cushioned and protected life. She had no clue that life is going to make her confront such a harsh reality. And then how she takes charge and how over the years she becomes a real-life icon is what we were looking for. Today’s Sabrina is already the icon. So we needed to chart out the emotional journey of Sabrina on the basis of what we thought she must have gone through. It wouldn’t have been right to have her share such emotions with us. She was kind enough to share many facts with us. Beyond that Raj Kumar and I worked out the characterisation on our own. She obviously had an indomitable spirit all along which is why she stuck it out for 11 years. That was a direct lift from the real Sabrina. Any other similarities would be a happy coincidence.

Have you met Sabrina?

Yes, I did. At the trailer launch of the film in Delhi. She said, ‘Oh finally!’ But I couldn’t say anything to her. I just saluted her. I was a bit overwhelmed. One because she is someone who has inspired most of our generation by sticking it out all by herself. And the fact that I have kind of personalised her journey in a way in the film. So meeting her in flesh and blood was an overwhelming moment.

Amitabh Bachchan on Koffee With Karan named you as the best talent (along with Deepika Padukone) among the current crop of heroines. You have really had a dream run of late...

I think God’s been very, very kind and I can’t thank God enough. I am thankful for the kind of opportunities I am getting and I am really milking every opportunity. I am giving it my all. Thankfully for me, it’s worked out well. I just try and follow my instincts... that’s all there is to it. I am almost a schizophrenic about this... wanting to be in someone else’s shoes all the time on screen. To live another one’s life vicariously. I value the fact that people have faith in me to offer different kinds of roles. Audiences have time and again accepted me with open arms. The hug gets tighter and tighter and tighter!