Vidya Balan recalls how her first tryst with nepotism shattered her: It undoubtedly was bullying

Vidya Balan has made a name for herself in Bollywood thanks to incredible performances in films like Parineeta, Guru, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Paa, The Dirty Picture, Kahaani, and more. The actress – who even starred in the ’90s sitcom Hum Paanch, is known for speaking her mind. In a recent chat, Vidya opened up about nepotism and recalled her first tryst with it.

In a recent chat on the Unfiltered with Samdish podcast, Vidya spoke about being targetted at an award show for the costumes she wore in Sajid Khan’s comedy Heyy Babyy. She further talked about the effects of not having any family ties in the industry.

Vidya on being targetted

Recalling receiving a fun but demeaning acknowledgement at a 2008 award show, Vidya said, “When they told me they’re going to give me the Na-Real award, I said, ‘Why me? My clothes are not just my choice, right?’ At that time, I was too new to have an opinion on anything. They said, ‘No, we’re just doing this fun segment so we’re going to give you this award.’ I said, ‘Fine, but I’m going to share it with the costume designer and the director, and they said, ‘No, you mustn’t do that.’ And that, I think, is not nice.”

The actress added she was ready for it until she reached the venue and realised another actor who was being given the award backed out. Stating that she understood she was being targeted, Vidya named her director and costume designer while receiving the award. This incident caused ripples and she received backlash from their friends and supporters in the industry. 

First tryst with nepotism

Talking about her ‘first major tryst with nepotism,’ the actress said, “I was shattered. I was shattered because I was very alone. I realised that yes, it does make a difference when you don’t come from a film family. Because no one outside you is looking out for you.” The ‘Parineeta’ actress continued, “It felt like bullying to me. It was, it undoubtedly was. Just because I don’t come with a certain shield, you can’t… I thought it was a joke, so it was okay. But when I realised, I was the only one being made fun of, it wasn’t funny anymore.”

Vidya Balan projects

On the work front, Vidya was seen in the recently released rom-com Do Aur Do Pyaar. The Shirsha Guha Thakurta directorial also starred Pratik Gandhi, Ileana D’Cruz and Sendhil Ramamurthy in pivotal roles. The actress will soon feature in the third instalment of Bhool Bhulaiyaa as Manjulika. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 also stars Kartik Aaryan

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Vidya Balan takes a dig at people for over-sharing on social media: There’s a reason why you have a private life and public life