Dubai discovers why Vidya Balan is Bollywood's most-loveable star

She came. She saw. She conquered.

And we, willingly surrendered.

Bollywood’s most vivacious and remarkably articulate Vidya Balan ensured our Saturday afternoon was truly out of the ordinary.

Dressed (almost) in character, in a shimmery outfit, the star was joined by her screen-husband Emraan Hashmi, off-screen husband and producer Siddarth Roy Kapur and director Raj Kumar Gupta to unveil ‘Ghanchakkar’ to the media.

“I think I should sit between the two of you (Emraan and Siddarth),” she joked, before being seated, clearly indicating that this was going to be unlike any other Bollywood events we had been to so far.

Vidya was clearly on a roll.

From talking about playing an insanely dressed, robust Punjabi housewife to Emraan in the movie to her (real life) marriage to the UTV Disney head honcho, to poking a jibe at her fashion critics, she cheerfully tackled each question with immense sincerity.

“I don’t usually dress like this,” she insisted, when asked about the bling she sported.

“In a certain way, it challenges my vanity. I had also gained a lot of weight for the ‘Dirty Picture’ and once I’d said yes to ‘Ghanchakkar’, Raj said he didn’t want me to lose that weight. And, the clothes were only adding to the big-ness, madness. She’s slightly outlandish. And, I was happy to surrender to that madness.

“And, being in costume allows as much fun during the promotions. So, when I sit here, hopefully you know it’s not me and it’s Neetu from ‘Ghanchakkar’,” she chuckled.

Known for her exemplary knack at choosing extraordinary characters, she insisted that her decision to crack the Indian housewives stereotype was crucial.

“We’ve got such a stereotype of a housewife, and only housewives know how exciting their lives are. There’s enough colour in their lives which their men never get to know of.

“When I read the script, what I found interesting was that it was actually using the stereotypes in a very interesting way. 

Emraan Hashmi. (Supplied)

Analyzing her character’s eccentric dressing and how she flips fashion magazines in a bid to turn modern, Vidya didn’t shy away from hinting at her unforgiving fashion critics.

“She (Neetu) goes through all kinds of fashion magazines. I am not naming any. Anyway they are always after me,” she quipped.

Emraan, who hadn’t dressed in his signature ‘Ghanchakkar’ polka-dotted night-suit, spoke about how that costume had made him the most uncomfortable.

“In the film, I get whisked away in the night (wearing the pyjama set) and I’m travelling on trains and taxis and running barefoot on the streets of Mumbai so it was very taxing. These are crowded places and everyone was staring at me. I also had a ponytail, so I don’t know what people thought I was playing.”

Despite all the unwanted attention, Emraan quipped that he has taken the costume home because his wife wanted him to wear it.

With the movie centered on a lost booty and how the characters are racing to find it, Vidya joked that it didn’t matter who had the money – the reel-husband or the real-husband – because either way she’d benefit from it.

The focus shifted, a little, towards Vidya’s earlier feisty performance in ‘Ishqiya’, which is now being taken forward in a second part with Madhuri Dixit in the lead, and how the two actresses have much in common.

“I’m thrilled to know that she’s doing the movie. I don’t know if it’s a sequel but it’s a franchise film. These two characters played by Nasseer sahib (Nasseeruddin Shah) and Arshad (Warsi) remain and the story is going to another place now.

“I just can’t wait to see her on-screen. She’s magical.”

There was even real-life marriage talk, with Vidya informing that this was her first promotional event with Siddarth.

“We don’t discuss movies at home. I mean, not the ones we are working on. He’s probably hearing me talk about the movie only now.”

She even revealed that she doesn’t cook, a question, she has been asked innumerable times after tying the knot with Siddarth.

“In the movie, my husband prefers his mother’s cooking. I think it’s true of every man. So, I have stayed away from cooking. I really don’t enjoy it so I haven’t tried it.”

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