Vidya Balan
- Acting
- January 1, 1978 · Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Biography
Vidya Balan (born January 1, 1979) is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Hindi cinema. After appearing in the television sitcom *Hum Paanch* (1995) and the Bengali independent film *Bhalo Theko* (2003), she made her Hindi feature debut in the musical drama *Parineeta* (2005), winning the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Her subsequent releases included *Lage Raho Munna Bhai* (2006), *Guru* (2007), and the psychological comedy thriller *Bhool Bhulaiyaa* (2007). Balan earned the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for the comedy drama *Paa* (2009), followed by the black comedy *Ishqiya* (2010), for which she won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress. For her portrayal of Silk in the biographical drama *The Dirty Picture* (2011), she won the National Film Award for Best Actress and the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She earned a third Filmfare Award for Best Actress for the mystery thriller *Kahaani* (2012). Her credits during this period included *No One Killed Jessica* (2011), *Kahaani 2* (2016), and *Tumhari Sulu* (2017), which earned her a fourth Filmfare Award for Best Actress. In 2019, Balan expanded into South Indian cinema with the two-part biographical drama *N.T.R: Kathanayakudu* and *N.T.R: Mahanayakudu*, and appeared in the Tamil release *Nerkonda Paarvai* and *Mission Mangal*. Her subsequent projects included the biographical drama *Shakuntala Devi* (2020), *Sherni* (2021), *Jalsa* (2022), *Neeyat* (2023), *Do Aur Do Pyaar* (2024), and *Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3* (2024). In 2026, she appeared in the historical drama *Raja Shivaji* and *The Last Tenant*.
Known for
Filmography
- Mauja Hi Mauja
- Jailer 2 · Kantha Kalpak
- Jailer 2- Super Show · Self
- Raja Shivaji · Tajul Mukkhidarat Haji Badi Sahiba
- The Last Tenant
- Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 · Mallika / Manjulika
- Do Aur Do Pyaar · Kavya
- The Great Indian Kapil Show · Self
- Neeyat · Mira Rao
- Jalsa · Maya Menon
- Sherni · Vidya Vincent
- Shakuntala Devi · Shakuntala Devi
- Natkhat · Surekha, Producer
- Mission Mangal · Tara Shinde
- Nerkonda Paarvai · Kalyani Bharath
- Superstar Singer · Self
- N.T.R: Mahanayakudu · Basavatarakam
- N.T.R: Kathanayakudu · Basavatarakam
- Amoli · Narrator (English)
- Tumhari Sulu · Sulochana "Sulu" Dubey
- Begum Jaan · Begum Jaan
- Rising Star · Self
- Kahaani 2 · Vidya Sinha / Durga Rani Singh
- Yaaron Ki Baraat · Self
- Ekk Albela · Geeta Bali
- Te3n · Sarita Sharma
- The Kapil Sharma Show · Self
- Hamari Adhuri Kahani · Vasudha Prasad
- The Anupam Kher Show · Self
- Bobby Jasoos · Bobby
- Shaadi Ke Side Effects · Trisha Roy
- Son of Abish · Self
- Mahabharat · Draupadi (Voice)
- Ghanchakkar · Neetu Athray
- Comedy Nights with Kapil · Self
- Bombay Talkies · Self, special appearance in "Apna Bombay Talkies" (uncredited)
- Ferrari Ki Sawaari · Special Appearance in Song "Mala Jau De"
- Kahaani · Vidya Bagchi / Vidya Basu
- The Dirty Picture · Reshma / Silk
- Dum Maaro Dum · Cameo as Mrs Kamath
- Thank You · Divya
- Urumi · Makkom / Bhumika
- No One Killed Jessica · Sabrina Lal
- MasterChef India · Guest Star
- Ishqiya · Krishna Verma
- Paa · Vidya Arte
- Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah · Self
- Kismat Konnection · Priya
- Halla Bol · Sneha Chauhan / Sneha A. Khan
- Om Shanti Om · Self
- Bhool Bhulaiyaa · Avni S. Chaturvedi
- Heyy Babyy · Esha Sahni
- Eklavya: The Royal Guard · Rajeshwari / 'Rajjo'
- Salaam-e-Ishq · Tehzeeb Raina
- Guru · Meenakshi "Meenu" Saxena
- Lage Raho Munna Bhai · Jhanvi
- Parineeta · Lalita
- Koffee with Karan · Self
- Bhalo Theko · Anandi
- Kaun Banega Crorepati · Self
- Hum Paanch · Radhika Mathur
- Aap Ki Adalat · Self