I am living my dream to be an actress: Vidya

Vidya Balan, who has delivered several hits including the national-award winning Paa and The Dirty Picture, says she does not feel the pressure to deliver as she chooses good scripts.

`I do not feel the pressure... not really. I am happy I am living my dream to be an actress. It was my lifelong dream to be an actress. It feels wonderful... According to me, the real box office king or queen is a good film, a good script. I have been fortunate to be part of good films,` Vidya said.

The 34-year-old, who made her debut in Bollywood with Parineeta is one of the most sought after actresses today but her journey in cinema wasn't a cake walk.

`I think it is my family and faith that keeps me rooted. I do feel happy and proud of my achievements,` Vidya said.

With her strong and bold portrayals in Ishqiya, The Dirty Picture and Kahaani, Vidya has somewhere reinvented women-centric films in Bollywood. And the actress feels its the reflection of women in society.

`In real life, women are coming on their own in different spheres of their life. We are beginning to acknowledge and recognise that we are individuals and have right to happiness. And in films too women are taking centre stage.

`This is because in our lives we are beginning to acknowledge us. We also should matter to ourselves first,` she said.


On whether her criteria for choosing films post marriage has changed, Vidya said, `I don't think so my choice will change. I think I am an actor and now I am married.` She tied the knot with Siddharth Roy Kapur of UTV in December 2012 and would be next seen in Rajkumar Gupta's 'Ghanchakkar' and Pritish Nandy's 'Shaadi Ke Side Effects'.

'Ghanchakkar' is a quirky film that narrates the tale of Emraan, an ex-conman who is laid back and has a taste for finer things in life.

He has an ambitious wife, Vidya, who has her own notions of the world. Therefore he gets sucked into a 'chakkar' and has to suffer two thugs - one with a bad ailment and other with bad sense of humour. All this leads to madness, confusion and chaos.

Then Vidya will be seen opposite Farhan Akhtar in Shaadi Ke Side Effects, a sequel of the 2006 romantic film, Pyaar Ke Side Effects that had Rahul Bose and Mallika Sherawat. It was a romantic comedy, and portrayed the intricacies of a modern relationship.

Talking about Farhan, Vidya says, `I am enjoying working with him. First time working with an actor who is also a writer and a director. I think there is lot for me to learn from him.`