Happy birthday to Vidya Balan.

Happy birthday to Vidya Balan.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Vidya Balan on 1^st January, 2012. Vidya Balan had shown her potentiality in sophisticated roles in the past. 2011 had been her year. Her performance in the role of Silk Smita in the film Dirty Picture had been appreciated by the audience. In fact her performance had been the best performance of the year by any female actress.

Vidya Balan attracted the attention of cultured audience through her soft performance in Pradeep Sarkar’s film Parineeta. It was an adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chatterjee’s successful novel Parineeta. Vidya Balan reached the depth of the character that was related to life of Kolkata during the 18^th century.

Vidya Balan acted opposite Sanjay Dutt and Saif Ali Khan and balanced their performance with her own performance. She also gave able lips in the song “piyu bole, piya bole” sung by Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal which became super hit.

Vidya Balan was also impressive in the film Lage Raho Munnabhai opposite Sanjay Dutt. The film was based on the story of the transformation of Munna Bhai, who was notorious for his unlawful activities through the dictates of Mahatma Gandhi. He told lies to Vidya Balan about being a Professor, but gathered some courage to tell the truth that he was not a Professor. The songs “pal pal pal” created a theme for the film and he performance of both Sanjay Dutt and Vidya Balan was very impressive.

Although Vidya Balan’s films like Kismat Conection with Shahid Kapoor or Hey Baby opposite Akshay Kumar did mediocre business in the last few years, the viewers had seen her strong performance in the film Bhoolbhulaiya.

She had done a good job opposite Abhishek Bacchan and Big B in the film Paa in 2009. She loved Abhishek Bacchan. Their child Big B suffered from a strange disease. Before death Big B united Abhishek Bacchan and Vidya Balan. Her reserve performance once again amazed the viewers. She received the filmfare award for the best actress in 2010 for her brilliant performance in the film Paa.

In 2010, her other performance in the film Ishqiya opposite Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi was well appreciated by the viewers. Her role of a widow was really experimental in nature.  The character as depicted by Vidya Balan had amazed many viewers. She received the star entertainment award for the best actress for the phenomenal performance in the film Ishqiya.

It is interesting to see whether she gets Filmfare  award for best actress for her performance in the film Dirty Picture. She had carried the entire film on her own shoulders.  She should continue to act in reserve roles which suit her characteristics in the years to come.

                                      vidya balan

Sonu Nigam and Shantanu Moitra.

Sonu Nigam and Shantanu Moitra.

Sonu Nigam had brilliant combination a number of leading composers of bollywood over the last 10 years. Sonu Nigam was associated with Anu Malik as some of his best romantic numbers were composed by him including “hume jab se mohabbat ho gayi hai”, in the film Border, or “sau dard hai” in the film Jaaneman. He was also associated with Sajid Wajid, as most of his romantic numbers like “tumko bhula na payega” from the film Tumko Bhula Na Payenge, or “mujhse shaadi karogi” in the film Mujshe Shaadi Karoge was composed by him.

But Sonu Nigam sang very landmark songs under the composition of Shantanu Moitra in critically acclaimed films. The films included Parineeta, Lage Raho Munnabhai, The Three Idiots, etc. Parineeta was directed by Pradeep Sarkar and was probably the first launching pad of actress Vidya Balan. Sonu Nigam’s duet song with Shreya Ghoshal namely “piyu bole piya bole” composed by Shantanu Moitra maintained the flavor of Rabindrasangeet with a background of Kolkata during the time of writer Sarat Chandra Chatterji. Also the song “yeh hawaye gungunaye” was equally impressive.

In the film Lage Raho Munnabhai, Shantanu Moitra, maintained both the bhai-like mastani flavor as well as the soft romantic mood. Sonu Nigam’s song “pal pal pal pal pal pal har pal” was probably the most romantic song of the film. The other songs like “lage raho munnabhai” did bear a different andaz. If the acting of Sanjay Dutt, Boman Irani and Vidya Balan was impressive, the music was equally instrumental in the success of the film.

The Three Idiots had shown the loopholes of India’s higher education system. The songs composed by Shantanu Moitra had the message of the director Raj Kumar Hirani. Sonu Nigam and others in the film sung the theme song “all is well” a number of times in the film. The other song “zubi zubi” sung by Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal was also very fast and melodious. Shantanu Moitra had used other upcoming singers like Suraj in the film who had also done a great job in the film. If the acting of Amir Khan, R. Mahadevan and Sharman Joshi had impressed the viewers, the music had made them spellbound.

The audience expect the combination of Sonu Nigam and Shantanu Moitra to provide more number of romantic numbers in future, even in films made under any other banner in addition to the banner of Vidhu Vinod Chopra or direction of Raj Kumar Hirani.

Vidya Balan requires a big hit soon.

Vidya Balan requires a big hit soon.

Vidya Balan stormed into bollywood films with successful film Parineeta. She played the character of Parineeta, the epic character of legendary writer Sarat Chandra Chatterji. Her performance opposite Saif Ai Khan and Sanjay Dutt charmed most of the viewers of bollywood.

She continued her dream run after giving a brilliant performance in the film Lage Raho Munnabhai. The film was related to Gandhigiri. Sanjay Dutt on one hand showed his level of maturity in comedy roles especially as Munnabhai. On the other hand Vidya Balan displayed her effortlessness in acting in the film. She played the role of a keeper of old age home, who faced the problem of being ousted from the place by Boman Irani. Sanjay Dutt used his Gandhigiri to convince Boman Irani was adamant. Vidya Balan’s dialogue good morning Mumbai as radio jockey and lips in the song “pal pal pal pal” amused the viewers.

After the success of Lage Raho Munnabahi, Vidya Balan got offers to act in many films like Bhoolbhulaiya, Hey Babby, etc. In Bhool Bhulaiya she even succeeded to play the role of ghost in the film Bhoolbhulaiya opposite Akshay Kumar. But to her ill luck none of these films did great business and her demand in bollywood films started decreasing.

A big section of viewers believe that ultramodern make up does not suit Vidya Balan and wherever she tried to play those roles they were not accepted by the audience at all. The best example was Hey Babby. She played the role of a girl who had settled in Australia. She came to India to attend a wedding where she got attached with Akshay Kumar. The subject relating to the little child of Vidya Balan had promise, but Vidya Balan’s make up did not help her.

The other films like Kismat Connection opposite Shahid Kapoor also did not do well in the box-office. Some way or the other she is not there in the number one spot in bollywood which is shared by Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra.
She requires a super hit film very soon to stay in the competition. There is lot of expectation from the film Paa. Already the viewers are anxious to see Big B with a strange make up in a role of a 13 year old child. Paa can change the destiny of Vidya Balan. Let us hope it does well.

Vidya Balan and Sanjay Dutt.

Vidya Balan and Sanjay Dutt.

Bollywood industry had seen different types of pairs during the last 60s years. Raj Kapoor and Nargis were sublime during the black and white era, when most of film shooting used to take place within studios. Dilip Kumar and Vaijayantimala’s films started during black and white era and continued during the era of coloured films. Films like Leader had locations, rich music, powerful dance sequences, etc. in addition to online chemistry of Dilip Kumar and Vaijayantimala.

Sanjay Dutt and Vidya Balan form one type of such an unique pair who had been accepted by the viewers of bollywood films. Sanjay Dutt got the scope of performing opposite Vidya Balan at middle-age as opposed to his performance opposite Madhuri Dixit in during his young age in films like Thanedaar, Saajan, Khalnayak, etc.

In Pradeep Sarkar’s Parineeta, Sanjay Dutt’s role was based on the character of a middle aged person who was considerate about the family of Parineeta. Although Vidya Balan was attached with Saif Ali Khan according to the classic literature of Sarat Chandra Chatterji, Sanjay Dutt’s contribution was even greater in the film than Saif Ali Khan. All the songs in the film composed by Shantanu Moitra ended up being super hit, including Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal’s song “piyu bole”.

Lage Raho Munnabhai was probably the greatest hit film of Sanjay Dutt in his entire career. He was a bhai ( underworld don) who pretended to be a Professor and impressed Vidya Balan who was attached to an old-age home. He impressed her with his knowledge on Gandhiji. Mahatma Gandhi’s soul instructed Sanjay Dutt to follow his path related to ahimsa.

The romance in the film was related to matured level of understanding. Sonu Nigam’s song “pal pal pal pal pal pal”, was a landmark hit. After that song Vidya Balan slapped Sanjay Dutt after reading the letter where he mentioned that he was not a Professor. The film with Vidya Balan forgiving Sanjay Dutt for the lies he said to her.

The viewers are looking forward to more films of Vidya Balan with Sanjay Dutt, as the pair had shown matured level of performance which touched the hearts of millions of viewers all across the world. Sanjay Dutt these days had restricted himself in acting in action films, so if he signs romantic films, the producers and directors should think about Vidya Balan who suits him better than any other actress of bollywood industry.