EP 9 - How Vidya Balan a Bollywood ‘outsider’ changed the narrative in a male-centric industry

YourStory Founder and CEO Shradha Sharma recently caught up with the critically-acclaimed actor on YourStory Inspirations series to talk about Vidya Balan’s  incredible and inspiring journey so far. Nepotism in Bollywood, has been a hotly debated topic for several years, and more so now. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule such as superstar Shah Rukh Khan who transitioned successfully from being a TV star to becoming the ‘Badshah of Bollywood’, without any connections or backing in the industry. However, the general impression is that for an outsider without any Bollywood connections or mentors, it’s difficult to survive, let alone thrive. But Vidya has thrived and how. Vidya started her film career in 2005 at the age of 26 with the Saif Ali Khan-starrer Parineeta based on the Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay novel of the same name, where she essayed an author-backed central character. The film picked up several awards including Vidya bagging the Filmfare award for the best debut. Read more at: https://yourstory.com/2020/07/vidya-balan-bollywood-outsider-personal-journey Follow us on Social Media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/yourstorycom Instagram: www.instagram.com/yourstory_com Twitter: www.twitter.com/YourStoryCo YouTube: www.youtube.com/yourstorytv Write to us: [email protected] This story was originally interviewed by YourStory Founder and CEO Shradha Sharma. Reported by Ramarko Sengupta on 14th Jul 2020 with edits by Tenzin Pema. Hosted by Julius Sharma!