When Vidya Balan Faced Rejections For Multiple Films Because She Was Deemed ‘Jinxed’

Contrary to what many people think, it is not easy being a celebrity. The audiences and fans can write you off after a single flop, even if you have proved your acting prowess. One of Bollywood’s most talented and versatile actresses was surprisingly, at an earlier stage in her career, considered ‘jinxed’ by some. The actress in question is Vidya Balan. From The Dirty Picture, Kahaani to Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Vidya Balan has demonstrated that she is one of the finest talents in the industry. Her acting is natural, effortless, and versatile. Early in her career, Vidya Balan was labelled as ‘unlucky and jinxed’ after her film with Mohanlal was shelved. In an interview, Vidya Balan recalled the challenging period, stating that she experienced heartbreak due to these struggles. She mentioned that people who had initially signed her for films began replacing her without informing her.

Two of her Malayalam films were shelved, which led industry insiders to believe she was jinxed. She remembered, “It was about a dozen films that I was replaced in.” Additionally, a Tamil producer even checked her horoscope and concluded that ‘she was jinxed.’

Vidya Balan aspired to become an actress, influenced by celebrities like Shabana Azmi and Madhuri Dixit. She initially received small opportunities in the industry. One of her early roles was playing a teenage girl named Radhika in the first season of Ekta Kapoor’s Hum Paanch, a popular sitcom in the 90s. She tried her luck in Malayalam and Tamil films but she was replaced from various projects,including the 2002 Madhavan starrer Run.

Vidya Balan made her film debut with the Bengali film Bhalo Theko, directed by Gautam Halder. She also received the Anandalok Puraskar for Best Actress. It was only after this that she received her first Hindi film Parineeta. Offers came pouring in after that. Her most acclaimed performance was in the Silk Smitha biopic The Dirty Picture, which won her a National Award. Today, she is not as active as she was in cinema but reportedly has an impressive net worth of Rs 136 crore.