New Delhi: Vidya Balan, widely celebrated for challenging conventional beauty standards in the Hindi film industry, turned 47 on January 1. Known for her belief that her work should speak for itself, she has starred in numerous successful films, including Guru (2007), Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), Parineeta (2005), Paa (2009), The Dirty Picture (2011), and Kahaani (2012).
Vidya Balan was born on January 1, 1978, in Palakkad district, Kerala. She grew up in Mumbai and is a Tamil Brahmin, contrary to the assumption by many viewers who believed her to be Bengali due to her performances in films like Kahaani and Parineeta. She is the daughter of homemaker Saraswathy Balan and P.R. Balan, a chief mentor at MFA Consulting Private Limited, and has one elder sister, Priya Balan, who works in advertising.
Vidya completed her schooling at St. Anthony Girls High School in Chembur, Mumbai. During her school years, she gained early acting experience by playing Radhika in the sitcom Hum Paanch, produced by Ekta Kapoor. She earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai.
Facing challenges in the Malayalam and Tamil film industries, she made her acting debut in Bengali cinema with the independent film Bhalo Theko in 2003. Her Hindi film debut occurred in 2005 with Parineeta, directed by Pradeep Sarkar, alongside Saif Ali Khan, Sanjay Dutt, and Raima Sen. She worked with esteemed directors in her early career, appearing in films like Lage Raho Munna Bhai and Eklavya: The Royal Guard.
Her defining role came with the 2011 biopic The Dirty Picture, where she portrayed south Indian actress Silk Smitha. This film grossed Rs 114 crore at the box office and solidified her status as a leading actress.
In terms of box office performance, her most successful films include Mission Mangal, which remains her highest-grossing film, along with significant hits such as The Dirty Picture, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Kahaani, and No One Killed Jessica. Other critically and commercially successful films in her career include Paa, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, and Tumhari Sulu.
On the personal front, Vidya Balan married Siddharth Roy Kapur, CEO of UTV Motion Pictures, on December 14, 2012.
