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Vidya Balan loves her luchi-ghugni, and she needs no encouragement to talk endlessly about all things Bengali. So we were not surprised when we caught up with Vidu on the floors of a promo shoot for Nihar Naturals Sananda Srimati, powered by Parachute Advansed Body Lotion, and the chat veered in the direction of her ongoing romance with Calcutta. She also threw in some stress-free beauty secrets…
her bong connection
You are the face of Srimati this year. What about the pageant attracted you?
The fact that it gives a married woman the platform to come into her own. Women are fabulous at multitasking. It is just that at times, forget about others appreciating her, she doesn’t even appreciate herself! Srimati gives that platform, that impetus for a woman to celebrate herself. Women are worth celebrating in every way, in terms of beauty, intelligence, capability, hard work. I think in every sphere you are seeing that. Women are coming into their own. Extremely capable and unapologetic. They have always been go-getters. I think Srimati is a reflection of that.
Why do you think women are better at multitasking than men?
I think historically and biologically women have had to play varied roles, all at the same time. It is very difficult being a homemaker… it is very difficult to nurture. Even with the same person, you are sharing different relationships at the same time. With the man you love, at one point you are a sexual being, at another you are being a mother, at another you are being a friend. Women are conditioned in a culture like ours to sustain every individual and every relationship in varied ways. I think that’s where it stems from, which is why for us to be working and taking care of family is not as difficult as it would be for a man. A man — without running him down, he also has his strengths — cannot multitask as beautifully as a woman. I am not just talking about multitasking in your work sphere; also at home.
A lot of times you see that if men have a task at hand, everything else becomes secondary for them. I know of a lot of friends in relationships who say, “You know, when he gets in to work, he forgets about everything else”. A woman is not like that. She might be in a very important meeting. At the same time, she will call to find out if her husband’s eaten, the child’s come back from school, if the maid is on time. She’ll also know how much atta there was the previous day and how much is being used today!
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| A hot cup of tea to start what would be a very long day |
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| Make-up artist Shreyas gets Vidya ready for the first shot |
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| Vidya rehearses for a tricky mirror shot |
What is it about Calcutta Srimatis that you like?
I have a lot of close Bengali friends. What I love about Bengalis is their emotionality. But that can also get tough sometimes. They are very high-strung. Besides their skin and their hair, which I envy, I think most Bengali women are extremely sexy. People did not call them Bengali tigresses for nothing! You look at them and you know there is that simmering energy underneath. I watched Supriya Devi in Sanyasi Raja. My god! I can only imagine how men must have desired her. Extremely voluptuous and sensuous. I don’t know what it was about her, but you just wanted to keep looking at her. And then I watched Chowringhee. That was a completely different Supriya Devi. I was amazed! Tall…those white saris! Amazing. Bengali women are who they are. They are bindaas, irreverent. You’ll rarely find a Bengali woman continuing in a relationship in which she is unhappy. That takes a lot of courage. Whether or not they are educated, they are liberated. That’s what I admire most about them.
Your favourite Bengali women…
I think I’ll always be a little partial to Lolita because I started my career with her. Then Madhabi Mukherjee. I have seen almost all of her films. She is such an understated actor. Mahanagar is a favourite. I love that scene where her Anglo-Indian friend gives her a lipstick. (Satyajit) Ray dealt with some situations so beautifully. Even Charulata was such a liberated woman.
One iconic Bengali character you would like to play…
I have heard — not read — Nati Binodini and Raktakarabi. They seem quite interesting. A Bengali director has approached me to make Nati Binodini and Raktakarabi. That’s how I know.
You were listening to Kishore Kumar’s Shey toh elo na while getting your make-up done...
Aami mon theke Bangali. Aami eto baar bolechhi, sobai pore klanto hoe jaabe. Kintu Bangla aamar khub bhalo laage bolte…tai aami shob somoy cheshta kori Bangla aaro bhalo korte (I am a Bengali at heart. I have said it so many times that people will grow weary of reading it. I love speaking Bengali, so I always try to improve my skills).
I have seen a lot of Bengali films. Eto Bangla gaan jani aami ki bolbo (I know so many Bengali songs). I like Kaharba noi dadra bajao, Jete jete pathhey holo deri, Shey toh elo na, Tomate aamate dekha hoyechhilo, Hoitoh tomari jonno, Ami je jalshaghare…
I also know lots of rhymes in Bengali. Shunte pelam Posta giye tomar naki meyer biye/ Gangaram ke patro pele jaante chao shey kemon chhele? I can go on and on. Don’t even encourage me!
More recently, I have heard two or three songs by Mohiner Ghoraguli. Parambrata (Chattopadhyay) used to keep singing them on the sets of Kahaani. I forget the lyrics. Amake amar moto thakte dao. Then Jao pakhi bolo. I love that song! Day before yesterday I made my sister watch Antaheen…. I can’t explain it. My mom keeps telling me that in my previous birth I must have been a Bengali. And I don’t contest it. I am so happy to come back to Calcutta. And everyone says, “Oh! You are going to your second home”. And now the Taj Bengal has also become home. I have a room where I stay every time I come back. I did not want to go back after I shot for Kahaani for two-and-a-half months, I love Calcutta so much! It is just the warmth of Calcutta. My god!
If you have to choose a Bengali man to marry...
Either Uttam Kumar or Satyajit Ray. Rani’s (Mukerji) promised to look for a Bengali man for me. But so far nothing has happened. Let’s see... who knows!
Isn’t it high time you did a Bengali film?
Bolo, Rituda (Rituparno Ghosh) ke bolo. He and I have been trying to work things out for the longest time. Let’s hope this year something happens. He messaged me after No One Killed Jessica when someone else messaged him saying he should work with Vidya! I said what is the point? Don’t tell me. You are behaving as if I don’t want to work with you! Tony (Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury) is another guy whose Antaheen I really loved. Sujoy Ghosh wants to make a Bengali film, and I have been telling Pradeepda that he should come back to Calcutta and we should make a film together.
her beauty secrets
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| Vidya flaunts a brocade kurta in Look One |
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| A glamorous Vidya in a chikan kurta was Look Two of the day |
Tell us how you care for your hair...
By God’s grace, I have fairly decent hair; thick, south Indian hair. It was so thick that when I was a kid, my mom used to take me to the salon every summer to get it cut because it used to be unmanageable.
My hair goes through a lot of abuse, so the easiest thing is to oil. Which is why Nihar Naturals works fantastically because it has methi. When I am travelling, it becomes difficult to carry methi separately, grind it and heat it. My mom used to make us eat dry fruits because they give natural shine to your hair. Also as you grow up you realise that stress can affect your hair. Food has a great bearing. Also weather. The best thing for you when you are losing hair is to not stress about it. The moment you stop stressing about it, the hair fall stops. You have to eat well, sleep well and feel good basically. Oil once a week, it never goes out of fashion. We are roaming in a polluted environment all the time. Oil your hair and go to bed, and you will wake up feeling like a new person. You sleep beautifully. It takes the stress out and calms you down. Don’t oil your hair to such an extent that you can cook in that oil! You need oil on the scalp and a little on the hair.
No hair xperiments for you?
I love long Indian hair, and that suits me. So I am happy to wear that most of the time. My characters haven’t really required me to experiment too much with my hair.
The most wacky thing you were asked to do to your hair...
Someone actually wanted me to shave my head for a film. He sounded so excited! I said that’s the one thing I am not doing. You ask me to put on weight, lose weight. But hair I will not play with.
You also have super skin…
My skin is abused a lot. I wear make-up every day. But my make-up artist is someone who has worked with me for years now. He uses good products. He doesn’t use a lot of base. There are times when due to constant use of make-up, there are break-outs. I stress about it, and then I try hard not to! I try to calm myself down and drink water. Sleep is very, very, very important. And also the way you are feeling about yourself. If you are feeling rejected, your skin will not look nice. That glow has to come from within.
Do you remember any home skincare sessions from your childhood?
I remember my mum used to make us apply dahi and I used to hate the smell of it on my skin. As I grew up, I gave it up. I am a natural kind of person. I do a lot of Ayurveda. Removing make-up is also important.
What’s your daily make-up like?
If I am not shooting, I use maybe kajal and gloss. And moisturiser, of course.
What is your favourite item in your make-up kit?
A Pakistani kajal that I always carry. And MAC gloss.
Your sari collection is big on Kanjeevarams…
I love them. I make my parents give me one Kanjeevaram every year. And then Sabya (Sabyasachi Mukherjee) told me that even he is reviving Kanjeevarams. So now we are on this thing together to revive the Kanjeevaram.
