‘I was labeled jinxed’: When Vidya Balan opened up on being replaced in South films

‘I was labeled jinxed’: When Vidya Balan opened up on being replaced in South films

As a dedicated follower of Vidya Balan‘s career, I have witnessed her remarkable journey from Bollywood to the South film industry and back again. It is heartbreaking to learn about the trials she faced during her stint in the South cinema world, where two shelved films and subsequent replacements left her feeling jinxed and shaken.


Vidya Balan has become well-known in Bollywood over time. However, she also made efforts to make a mark in South cinema, but faced rejection and was even labeled as ‘cursed.’ In an interview, she shared some lesser-known aspects of her career that had such a significant impact on her that they shattered her confidence.

During an interview with India Today, Vidya Balan recalled that for about a year and a half, none of her projects in South cinema seemed to come to fruition. She also shared that due to two Malayalam films she signed being shelved after almost half of their filming was completed, people began calling her “unlucky” or “cursed”.

Additionally, Vidya shared that she was working on a movie alongside Malayalam actor Mohanlal. Simultaneously, she received several other project offers. Unfortunately, the film was canceled just a few days into production, causing all the subsequent offers to be rescinded. This left her feeling uncertain and shaken.

She shared that her very first feature film with Mohanlal in Malayalam brought about 7-8 movie offers right after the initial shooting. Unfortunately, the movie was put on hold after the first schedule. Not only did it get halted, but she also got replaced in all the subsequent projects. This led to her being branded as ‘jinxed’. The series of replacements took a heavy toll on her confidence.

Beyond these setbacks, it’s important to note that Vidya Balan’s rejections weren’t confined to her time in the Malayalam film industry alone. In addition, she faced a substantial loss in a major Tamil film, where she was actually physically dismissed from the project.

For those not familiar, apart from South cinema, Vidya has also acted in Bengali films. One of these is the film “Bhalo Theko” released in 2003. Conversely, her first Bollywood appearance was with the movie “Parineeta,” which came out in 2005.

Indeed, although Vidya Balan didn’t amass a fortune from her work within the Southern film industry, she has consistently maintained deep respect and admiration for the exceptional quality of work produced in regional cinematography.

For instance, speaking with Rekha Menon during the promotions of her film Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, the diva expressed her love for Malayalam actress Urvashi. She compared how Bollywood does not narrate scripts for women in comedy like the ones performed by the yesteryear star. Vidya tagged Urvashi as her all-time favorite.

Furthermore, she not only praised actors such as Fahadh Fasil, Basil Joseph, among others, but also expressed her admiration by saying, “I’m really impressed with Fahadh’s work. To be honest, there are many more talented ones. There’s Basil Joseph too. I’m a fan of Anna Ben as an actress.

In terms of her professional endeavors, Vidya’s newest film, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 featuring Kartik Aaryan, Madhuri Dixit, and Triptii Dimri, has achieved remarkable success at the cinema box office since its debut.

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2024-11-13 08:41