Vidya Balan is an Indian actress. Known for pioneering a change in the concept of a Hindi film heroine with her portrayals of strong-willed women, she is the recipient of several awards, including a National Film Award, six Filmfare Awards and six Screen Awards. She was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2014.
Birth Name
Vidya Balan
Nickname
Vidhi, V
Profession
Actress
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
Nathalia Kaur was born on January 01, 1979 in Chembur, Mumbai, India.
Age
She is currently 40 years old.
Sun Sign
Capricorn
Nationality
Indian
Ethnicity
Asian (Indian)
She has Tamilian ancestry.
Religion
Hinduism
Education
Vidya Balan did her schooling from St. Anthony Girls’ High School, Chembur, Mumbai, and later attended St. Xavier’s College where she majored in Sociology. She went on to study MA at the University of Mumbai, where she received her first film offer.
Family Details
- Father – P. R. Balan (Executive Vice-President of Digicable)
- Mother – Saraswathy Balan (Homemaker)
- Siblings – Priya Balan (Older Sister) (Works in advertising field)
- Others – Priyamani (Second Cousin) (Actress)
Manager
Bling Entertainment Solutions
Marital Status
Married
Boyfriend / Spouse
Vidya Balan dated –
- Siddharth Roy Kapur – Vidya Balan herself told in an interview in May 2012 that she has been dating Siddharth Roy Kapur (CEO at UTV Motion Pictures). She married him on December 14, 2012, in a private ceremony in Bandra, Mumbai.
Physical Statistics
Height
- In feet – 5 feet 3 inches
- In centimeters – 160 cm
- In meters – 1.6 m
Weight
- In Kilograms – 57 kg
- In Pounds – 126 lbs
Body Measurements
- Measurements – 36-28-37
- Bust – 36 inches
- Waist – 28 inches
- Hip – 37 inches
- Bra Size – 34B
Body Build
Average
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Black
Dress Size
Her dress size is 10 (US).
Shoe Size
She wears a size 8 (US) shoe.
Sexuality
Straight
Professional Statistics
Famous For
Her traditional Indian Look and her work in Hindi movies, especially “Parineeta”, “The Dirty Picture”, “Kahaani”.
Film Debut
Bengali Film “Bhalo Theko”, for her role as “Anandi” in 2003. She got fame through her next film, which was a Hindi film “Parineeta” in 2005 and performed role as “Lalita” and for this, she got “Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut”.
Television Debut
Till now, she has not appeared in any TV show.
Brand Endorsements
- She has been seen in commercials about the surf, Clinic Plus shampoo, UNICEF Total Sanitation, etc.
- Vidya has endorsed Samajwadi Pension Yojana (launched by Akhilesh Yadav led Uttar Pradesh Government), Nihar Hair Oils, Indian Film Festival, Silk Board, etc.
Distinctive Features
Voice
Controversies
- In 2011, activists in South India protested and burned several posters of her film The Dirty Picture before its release. Not only that, but Silk Smitha’s brother also moved to the Andhra Pradesh High Court to oppose his sister’s portrayal in the film.
- There were rumours that marriage with Siddharth Roy Kapoor was on the rocks, because Siddharth had apparently fallen for another woman! But it could all be a jealous woman’s tale, for all we know.
Vidya Balan Favorite
- Favorite Film – Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Gol Maal (1979)
- Favorite Director – Gulzar, Hrishikesh Mukherjee
- Favorite Actors – Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Morgan Freeman, Al Pacino
- Favorite Actress – Shabana Azmi, Madhuri Dixit, Kate Winslet, Julie Delphy, Julia Roberts
- Favorite Book – Brida by Paulo Coelho
- Favorite Food – Thai Cuisine, Homemade food
- Favorite Role Model – Her older sister, Priya
- Favorite Musician / Band – Zakir Hussain, Michael Jackson, Enrique, Indian Ocean, Midival Punditz
- Favorite Color – Red
- Favorite Perfume – Issey Miyake, Elizabeth Arden
- Favorite Destination – New York, New Zealand
Vidya Balan Net Worth
Vidya Balan’s net worth has accumulated to approximately $15 million dollars.
Social Media Profiles
- Facebook – Vidya Balan
- Instagram – balanvidya
- Twitter – Vidya Balan
Some Lesser Known Facts About Vidya Balan
- Vidya Balan’s older sister, Priya is married to Kedar.
- Vidya started her acting career with Ekta Kapoor’s popular comedy show Hum Paanch (1995) as Radhika Mathur aired on Zee TV.
- Vidya is also associated with “AmFar” (American For AIDS Research) and Hale House, a home for children affected by HIV and Drug Addiction.
- Vidya Balan had to go for 40 Screen Tests and 17 Make-Up shoots before getting selected for a lead role in movie “Parineeta”.
- Vidya can also speak in Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil and Bengali.
- She is very good in Bengali, which is her husband’s native language and she seems to converse with her husband and his family in Bengali itself.
- She is a die-hard fan of Paulo Coelho and have read every book he has ever written.
- She was very popular with her advertisements in house holds, even before acting in movies.
- She nearly had done 5 movies which have not yet been released before doing her first movie in Bengali, after which she got her first Hindi movie, Parineeta.
- Vidya Balan also acted in a TV show “Hum Paanch” produced by Ekta Kapoor and “Hanse Khelte” produced by Ashok Pandit.
- She is well versed in English, Hindi, Malayalam, and Tamil languages and can speak little bit Bengali.
- In 2003, Vidya was signed on by Goutam Halder for his independent Bengali drama Bhalo Theko: her first film release.
- In 2007 Vidya featured in a supporting role in Mani Ratnam’s semi-biographical drama Guru as a woman suffering from multiple sclerosis.
- In 2009, Vidya was involved in a controversy when she mentioned a previous relationship in which “caustic remarks” were made at her due to her weight.
- In 2014, Vidya was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India, for her contributions to the entertainment industry.
