Vidya Balan, who made a powerful Bollywood debut with Parineeta in 2005, has carved a niche for herself as one of the most respected and versatile actresses in Indian cinema. With a string of memorable performances in films like Heyy Babyy, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Paa, Ishqiya, No One Killed Jessica, Kahaani, and The Dirty Picture, she’s built a legacy defined by bold choices and deeply layered characters. But behind her confident screen presence is a journey filled with self-doubt, tough decisions, and plenty of learning–especially when it came to turning down films early in her career.
In a recent conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Vidya Balan opened up about one such moment from her early days, when she had to refuse a film opposite Akshaye Khanna—and didn’t quite know how to handle it. “I find it much easier to say no today than I did 20 years ago. I was so scared. I remember there was this film offered to me opposite Akshaye Khanna, and for some reason, I didn’t connect with the script. But I couldn’t pick up the phone and tell him that myself. I asked my manager to convey it to the director instead,” she said.
‘Why didn’t you tell me you didn’t want to do the film?’
The story didn’t end there. Vidya Balan later ran into Akshaye Khanna on the sets of Salaam-E-Ishq, and he playfully confronted her. “He fired me!” she recalled with a laugh. “He said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me you didn’t want to do the film?’ I was so embarrassed. I went up to John Abraham and said, ‘Can you please save me?’ I just didn’t want any confrontation or to hurt anyone’s feelings. But later, I realised he was just pulling my leg.”
Vidya Balan was most recently seen in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, marking her much-anticipated return to the franchise after missing out on the 2022 sequel.