Monsoon makes Lucknow more beautiful, says Vidya Balan

With some incredible roles in her kitty, Vidya Balan can surely be described as an actor with a substance. In Lucknow on a rainy afternoon, complexities of tasks at hand notwithstanding, she looks eager to talk, joke and discuss everything under the sun, just when HT City catches up with her…

Your last outing Srijit Mukherji’s Begum Jaan failed to leave a mark. Does failure, or success for that matter affects you?

Success has its own sweet taste. It gives you a kick and of course you are under a hangover for quite some time. Failure, however, brings you back to the reality that everything in life is temporary. But I enjoy both the phases. Failure of a film affects me and I try to reason it but for a very short span. I do have a realization that it’s all part and parcel of your profession.

You are in the city of Nawabs. How does it feel coming back here?

I love this city as well as this state. I have been here many a times but this time I’m getting to see a different face of Lucknow as I’m en-route to my next destination, Gopal Kheda. This is a first time I am here in monsoon and trust me the city looks all beautiful in this weather too.

You have started getting associated with different causes at a very early stage of your career. What is it that makes you take time out and take on such causes?

I really believe that first we have to be a part of the change that we want to see in our society. And as an actor I have a virtue of making my cause reach out to many out there so I want to take as many genuine causes I can at a point of time. Like for this cause Nihar Naturals Shanti Amla’s Pathshala Funwala, I joined the brand as a beauty product but they came up with this noble idea of taking education to kids in villages. So this was a bonus for me. It’s this cause of education that got me here this time.

What’s your take on the ongoing debate on nepotism in the film industry?

See I have never experiences nepotism in the industry and I am very happy with my journey of more than a decade. And this debate has actually become too boring to say anything as much has been said over this. But yes I would like to add one thing that nepotism exists everywhere not just film industry. It’s in politics, business, jobs, you just name it and you will realise what I mean by saying so.

Your love for sarees is known wordwide... what is it with sarees?

I love sarees. Now toh people even gift me sarees...(laughs). It’s synonymous with me today. And trust me I have no qualms accepting this.

Have you tried chikan sarees from Lucknow?

Oh! Of course I have bought many... then I also got many...smiles...but my favourite is a mustard nine yard piece of fine chikan with net embroidery. And one more thing it’s not just sarees I also want to take a film based in or around this city soon. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Lastly...tell us about your upcoming projects?

Tumhari Sulu is slated for December release. It’s a happy film for change with a slice of life. I know people are going to love it.