from the Crow's Nest ...

Rear-view Mirror - 2011

“Converting KHANs to Balan : deciphering the code … ”

Acting is a nice childish profession - pretending you're someone else and, at the same time, selling yourself.
Katharine Hepburn

2011 came as a nice complement to the above statement, the actress this time being Vidya Balan. What Vidya brings onscreen is a home-grown charisma, a chutzpah that is unique to her presence. The magic worked at the start of the year. The magic worked at the end of the year.

“No One Killed Jessica” saw a resilient version of Vidya. The morning showed the day. Audience rejoiced the sturdy avatar of Vidya. While Rani Mukherjee almost stole away the thunder from Vidya, she steadied her ship till the very end. Almost Dravid-like compared to the flamboyance of a Sehwag-like Rani Mukherjee.

Let’s take a look at the reviews:

“But it is Vidya Balan's Sabrina who steals the show with her quiet courage, her absolute ordinariness and her complete disbelief at how someone with a pistol in his hand and power in his head could shoot down somebody for a mere drink. Watch Balan's body language and her aimless travels in Delhi's public transport and you'll understand how the common man survives in India: against all odds, albeit with courage and dignity.”– Times Of India

“It makes Vidya Balan's stand-out act -- her hesitant body language, her faith, her helplessness, her rage, her sorrow and her gratitude all come across beautifully; you don't even notice her pared down dialogues -- all the more commend-worthy.” – Rediff.com

” The first is personified by Vidya Balan, who plays Sabrina, Jessica’s beleaguered sister who fights in vain, against the might of Manu Sharma, a powerful politician’s son. Unlike her glamorous, party-girl sister, Sabrina is painfully plain and sober. Wearing drab clothes and spectacles, Vidya is a portrait of anguish and strength.” – NDTV 

Morning showed the day .. January paved 2011 for Vidya Balan in this case. And in what manner! The dream run continued till the fag end of 2011 with the release of “The Dirty Picture”. The premise was controversial enough to give the film that extra share of eye-balls. But with the sight of skin from Vidya Balan was a vision rather than a move. And boy! How it worked.

Coupled with her power-packed performance, and with that dare-to-bare frames, Vidya threw a challenge, Gladiator-like. And one, who has seen the movie, will agree that she comes out unscathed in the end.

Vidya Balan throws an open challenge to the protagonists who have played the lead onscreen till date and how she comes out of the ring!

Eat these:

“The Dirty Picture is essentially Vidya Balan's film, all the way. She gives a towering performance as the protagonist who remains unapologetic about her life till the very end. The high point of her act is the fact that despite portraying a sex bomb, her sexuality never ever gets vulgar and crude.” – Times Of India

“In terms of creativity, it's a middling effort. But where bravado is concerned, The Dirty Picture kicks ass by virtue of three very strong reasons: Vidya Balan. Vidya Balan. Vidya Balan.” – Rediff.com

“And Vidya Balan pulls off Silk in a manner no current female actor can. Heck, no actor in recent times has -- if I may say so -- the balls to give himself/herself to a role as wholeheartedly as Vidya has (barring, probably, Ranbir Kapoor in Rockstar).” – DNA

The innings was not over yet … 2011 also saw the poster release of her 2012 release “Kahaani” where she plays the role of a pregnant lady in search of her lost husband. The poster depicts her in another stellar performance.

The thermometer keeps climbing up, the mercury seething with expectation from a lady who has changed the way Bollywood ladies have played on a quintessentially male-dominated turf.

After the “The Dirty Picture”-success, Vidya pointed out that she should not be compared to the Khans, rather on the contrary, the Khans should change their surnames to Balan. Even “confidence” becomes a clichéd word in front of such a statement.

Ms. Balan took the road-less-travelled in 2011. 2012 doesn’t seem any different either. We drool in anticipation of another stellar performance. Another riveting overture of the unexpected.