Vidya opens up on Shahid

Vidya Balan talks about Shahid Kapoor, and how the loneliness had a negative impact on her appearance and weight

It was important to walk away from the relationship t hat is the difference between Vidya of Kismet Connection and Vidya of Paa and Ishqiya?

I know what you want to hear (laughs). To begin with, I have lost a lot of weight. I am feeling healthier and happier. Paa will see me in the Indian look. I am very excited about Paa and Ishqiya both. The change started by losing...yes, I had gained a bit of weight.
At the wrong places?
(Laughs) Let me say it. It’s been a long journey. Full marks to my dietician Pooja Makhija and trainer Vilayat Hussain. I don’t even go to a gym. I train at home. I do a bit of cardio, weights and calisthenics. And I eat a lot more intelligently now.

After losing weight, why are you not seen in Western outfits?
I didn’t lose weight to wear suggestive outfits. I lost weight to feel better about myself. I enjoy wearing Indian clothes.

Don’t you therefore stand to lose roles? You have kissed in Ishqiya, you did a lovemaking scene in Heyy Baby, so why say no to ‘suggestive’ attire?
I will wear what is required. But you know, suggestive outfits tantamount to skin show and take away the meat from the character. I want the meat, not the bone.

Have you always avoided daring outfits? Even in your teens, college etc?
Yes. My friends wore what collegians mostly wear. But I didn’t join them. I stood alone, but I was happy. I do wear skirts, but not very short ones. And I don’t wear shorts, not even at home.

Back to your weight loss. Did the caustic comments about your weight finally get to you?
I won’t say that I was immune to them. But you see, I was going through a lot of confusion in my head on a lot of fronts. I started taking a few things for granted. I became complacent. And I lost interest. Till Kismet Connection, everything was going well for me and then suddenly...

That was when your friendship with Shahid Kapoor went haywire?
I don’t see the connection.

Connection with a ‘K’, eh! Okay, what triggered off the need to lose weight?
Well, my mom sat me down and told me that I needed to feel good about myself. I think that I was trying to be someone else. I was desperately trying to fit into a certain mould (pauses)

Go on...
(Looks up at the ceiling) It was not about my weight and clothes. Those caustic comments were coming because I looked unhappy. I was exuding a certain amount of unhappiness.

Why were you unhappy?
You know what...

What?
If someone who matters to you talks you down, it can break you. That someone whose approval mattered to me started to constantly find faults with me. It started reflecting on me. At that point of time, it was important to walk away from that relationship. I don’t want to take his name.

Hmmm... I get it. Shahid doesn’t want to work with you now.
(Interrupts) Did I say that that I want to work with him? (pauses)

Continue...
If someone doesn’t want to work with me, so be it. It’s his loss completely. There are other fish in the sea.

Your friendship with fashion designer Shabina Khan has gone sour. Once upon a time, she was your best friend.
One tends to spend a lot of time with people one works with. My best friends have been people I have grown up with.

She isn’t too fond of you now.
I don’t bother about how people feel about me. What matters to me is how I feel about them.

How do you feel about Shabina?
Just like I feel about any other professional acquaintance.

Parting shot?
Even today, I am standing alone, but I am happy again. That’s all that is important to me (runs her hand through her hair and smiles)

When Vidya had a fall...

A source on the sets of Pa told us, “Vidya had to shoot a scene with Kiran Shah, who plays the child Amitabh Bachchan in the movie. The scene required Vidya to carry him. She carried him and the scene was being canned.

And suddenly there was a loud thud. Vidya had lost balance and fallen on the ground along with the actor.” Vidya was hurt, but after confirming that she wasn’t seriously injured the crew got back to shooting the scene and canned it successfully.

"I will kill Gauri Khan" - Vidya Balan

Vidya Balan made a shocking statement quite recently. She declared her love for Shah Rukh Khan and even went on to state that for him, she would be even willing to kill Gauri Khan. However, it is quite obvious that she said so in light humor as all this chit-chat happened on the 'Sajid Superstars' show! At Bollywood Buzz, we bring some exclusive tidbits on what to expect from the show

- On being asked about her crush, Vidya Balan didn't bat an eyelid as she only mentioned one name - Shah Rukh Khan! When warned by Sajid Khan that Gauri Khan could well be watching the show, she confessed that for getting the man of her dreams, she would even be willing to kill Gauri Khan!

- She did mention her disappointment though for missing out on being even nominated for Bhool Bhulaiyaa. Though she gave her heart, body and soul for the role of a woman possessed and saw some critical and commercial acclaim for the film, she was left perplexed when award functions ignored her completely. In fact one of her scenes from the film even made it to the best scenes selected by Sajid Khan.

- Her worst scene was an embarrassment for her though as a sequence from her tele-serial 'Hum Paanch', which was aired years back on TV. No wonder, she was red faced all through the duration as the scene played.

- There was some more fun in store as she was asked to choose her favorite between designers Manish Malhotra and Aki Narula. For the uninitiated, there is no love lost between Vidya and the two designers, hence the query holds on quite some relevance.

- She also mentioned about how uncomfortable she was about the thought of enacting a love making scene with Sanjay Dutt for Parineeta. In fact a few weeks back, even Sanjay Dutt had mentioned that it was quite strange to shoot for the scene since director Pradeep Sarkar insisted in dozens of retakes before the scene was finally canned!

- However, Vidya admits that Sanjay Dutt made it all comfortable for her and in the end she didn't have any hesitation to continue with the shoot. Just like the major part of the industry which loves Sanju baba, even Vidya couldn't help singing praises for her co-stars whom she truly believes has a heart of gold.

- Sajid however didn't have a heart to listen to what Vidya had to say, especially when she opened her mouth to sing a song. The moment she started singing 'Pal Pal' from Lage Raho Munnabhai, Sajid went off to sleep!

- Things perked up further though when other celebrities started placing their questions to her. One such question came from Ritiesh Deshmukh, her co-star in Heyy Babyy, who asked her to clarify the legend behind her being called 'Nagin Chachi' by quite a few members of the film fraternity. Keep guessing the reason before Vidya spills the beans in the show!

- While she was all fun in making her dancing entry into the show with the song 'Dholna' [Heyy Babyy], things turned a little serious as she was asked to reveal some bitter truths. In a round of controversial questions which followed, she was asked about her role in the Shahid-Kareena break-up. In addition, she was also grilled about her involvement with John Abraham.

She did come up with smart answers for two of the biggest controversies of her personal life ever since she entered celluloid. To know about what did she have to say about her 'affairs' with John and Shahid, tune in to Sajid's Superstars at 8:00 PM (note the revised timings), Saturday on the newly launched channel COLORS!

Vidya Balan's vanishing act in Cambridge!

Much to the amusement of cast and crew of Paa, Vidya Balan got disappeared after shooting for Paa in Cambridge. But what made the actress vanish is the question everybody had on their lips?

“It’s nothing so dramatic. Yes, I did stay back in Cambridge. I simply had to. I had no choice.”

Recounting the experience Vidya says, “I just couldn’t help it. Just being in Cambridge shooting was not enough. I felt a deep connect with the campus and the environment. I just wanted to walk around the campus with books in hand so I’d look like a student.”

Once the shooting was over, Vidya decided to stay over. “Luckily I’ve a friend in Cambridge. I stayed with her, and her husband. It was the most enriching experience of my life. Just the air and the feel of the place are so special.”

Vidya not wants to create her own Cambridge ambience in Mumbai. "I can’t afford a place in Cambridge. But I know of a place near Mumbai that offers the same climate and topography. But I am not revealing it.”

Not a problem Vidya!

Vidya looses Rs 3 lakhs along with weight

Vidya Balan, whose weight was one of her biggest issues, now has another issue to deal with. The actress who lost a lot of weight recently can’t fit into some of her designer clothes, made for her then meatier and curvier frame. Since some of those outfits cannot be altered, she has to do away with them. The clothes that she has lost sum up to a total of Rs.3 lakhs.

According to sources, she has been forced to discard outfits by Sabysachi, Priyadarshini Rao and Abu Sandeep. Vidya has lost 4 inches from the top and 3 from the waist and she herself confirms having to get rid of the outfits. She believes it’s a classic case of ‘To gain something, you have to lose something.’ We couldn’t agree more.

John mingles with a new girl

There seems to be a new girl in John Abraham's life. Well he hasn't dumped Bipasha Basu and hooked up with some one for sure but these days he often mingles with jewellery designer Paulomi Sanghavi. Although there is no romance brewing up between the two, John constantly keeps in touch with Paulomi whom he met through a common friend.

Paulomi's elite clientele stretches across Bollywood so she is a pretty well known figure in the tinsel town. People close to them swear by their chemistry together. Although John has been in a steady relationship with Bipasha has been linked to Vidya Balan and more recently Katrina Kaif. Well hope this doesn't make the Bong babe feel insecure