Latest news with #Filmfare
News18
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News18
At 30, She Played A 67-Year-Old Actor's Mom. They Said Her Career Was 'Over' But...
At the time, Vidya was only 30 and still climbing the ranks in Bollywood. Her portrayal of a single mother raising a child with progeria - a rare genetic condition that causes premature aging - was not just a departure from her earlier roles but also a bold gamble in an industry that often equates glamour with longevity. (News18 Hindi) In a recent interview with Filmfare, Vidya reflected on that turning point. "When Balki sir narrated the script and told me he wanted me and Abhishek (Bachchan) to play Amitabh Bachchan's parents, I thought he'd lost his mind," she laughed. But once she heard the full script, something inside her said that this was the role she was waiting for. (News18 Hindi) Despite her conviction, the external pressure was immense. Friends and industry insiders advised her against it, warning that playing an older woman so early in her career would permanently typecast her. But she found clarity after sharing the script with a few trusted friends, including a writer and an ad filmmaker. Their response was unanimous; she had to do it. (News18 Hindi) Directed by R Balki, 'Paa' starred Amitabh Bachchan as 12-year-old Auro, a boy battling progeria. In a complete role reversal from real life, his real-life son Abhishek played his father, and Vidya played the mother. The casting alone was enough to turn heads. But it was the emotional depth and realism of the performances that cemented 'Paa' as one of the most talked-about films of the year. (News18 Hindi) The film not only received critical acclaim but also major accolades. Amitabh Bachchan won the National Award for Best Actor, and Vidya Balan's nuanced performance was widely lauded as one of her most memorable. (News18 Hindi)
NDTV
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
After Finding Love At 49, Sohail Khan's Ex-Wife Seema Sajdeh Says, "Infidelity Is Not A Deal-Breaker"
New Delhi: Sohail Khan's ex-wife and fashion designer Seema Sajdeh rose to fame after she featured in the Netflix reality series Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives. During a recent conversation with Filmfare, Seema Sajdeh opened up about her equation with current boyfriend Vikram Ahuja, whom she was engaged to before she eloped with Sohail Khan in 1998. Seema also said that infidelity is not a deal-breaker for her in a marriage. What's Happening Seema and Sohail called it quits after 24 years of their marriage in 2022. While she never discussed the reason behind her separation, she said she can't tolerate "disrespect" in a relationship. Asked if infidelity was a reason, she explained, "I am not condoning infidelity but people do slip. It all depends on the situation and how you navigate through that phase and what you learn from it. Personally, I wouldn't regard infidelity as a deal-breaker, especially when you have children. Their stability comes before yours. Nevertheless, people separate and get divorced for various reasons. I am no one to judge." Speaking about her "companionship" with Vikram, Seema said, "I have known Vikram since I was 13. We grew up together. Getting engaged was natural as we'd been seeing each other for so long. Eventually, our paths deviated because we were too young. Today, it's more of a solid friendship, a companionship that we enjoy. At this age, it's not the butterflies in your stomach feeling. Rather it's a sense of stability that I look for, something that will stay for the long run." Asked if marriage is on the cards, Seema shared, "I am going to be 49 soon. I have two children. My partner has two children. He's got a life. I have a life. And we both have a life together. When you are together without expecting anything, it's beautiful. I am not dependent on Vikram for anything. He's not dependent on me either. So being together is a conscious choice we have made without the pressure of getting married. We are comfortable and secure with each other. A piece of paper is not going to change that." Seema's Family Life Seema and Sohail got divorced in 2022. They are parents to two sons, Nirvaan and Yohaan. After their divorce, they continue to co-parent their sons. They were seen on family vacations after parting ways. In A Nutshell Seema Sajdeh said that she doesn't feel pressure to get married to her current boyfriend Vikram Ahuja, whom she was engaged to before getting married to Sohail.
NDTV
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Vidya Balan Recalls Parineeta Director Vidhu Vinod Chopra Telling Her To Get A Nose Job: "It's Too Long"
New Delhi: Vidya Balan completed 20 years in the industry this year. While most would look at her career graph replete with diverse choices, the actress had her battles, such as bodyshaming and being questioned about her looks. One of them was when Vidhu Vinod Chopra, her first director for Parineeta, asked her to get a nose job done. What's Happening Vidya Balan recently spoke to Filmfare and revealed how Vidhu Vinod Chopra had called her "nose too long" during Parineeta. The film marked Vidya Balan's big Bollywood debut in 2005. Vidya Balan told Filmfare, "Yes, he actually said, 'Your nose is too long, let's get a surgery done.' I refused. I've never had anything done to my face, just the odd facial. I've always believed in keeping my face the way God made it. During a Malayalam film, they suggested I drop 'Balan' and use my community name, just like Manju Warrier or Samyuktha Varma. I changed it to Vidya Iyer and cried. My parents reminded me I'd always be Vidya Balan." She added, "That film didn't happen anyway. That's when I knew: if something doesn't feel right, it's not meant to be. When Parineeta was coming together, I asked Dada (Pradeep Sarkar) to ensure no one brought up the nose job again. He did, firmly. He said if Vidya works, the film works because Lalita is Parineeta. He was a true artist. Every shot was drawn out on paper. Even in his final ad film, I'm told he still carried his plastic folder with the shot breakdowns." Vidya Balan further elaborated on how Parineeta was a dream debut, and very few people get an opportunity like that. However, people wanted to make her look "younger and sexier" constantly. She added, "I was incredibly lucky to debut like that. Very few get that kind of launch. Hrithik (Roshan) in Kaho Hai is the only other one that comes to mind. Overnight, people knew me. I won Best Debut at Filmfare and got invited to events. Top directors started calling. But at photo shoots, they'd say, 'Let's try something new with you,' and I'd think, 'What have you even seen of me to want something new?' They'd say, 'Let's make you look younger and sexy.' And I was open to experimenting. But after a while, it got frustrating. I wasn't a girl. I was 26 and very much a woman." "It annoyed me, especially during shoots, where I felt pressured to act younger, something I just didn't relate to. I hadn't grown up on film magazines or learnt how to pose. Acting was always my focus. I hadn't even seen International glossies. What thrilled me was being on the set, working with legends like Rajkumar Santoshi, Nikkhil Advani, Mani Ratnam and big names like Sajid Nadiadwala and Akshay Kumar. That's what really mattered to me," concluded the actress. Work Vidya Balan was last seen in Anees Bazmee's Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, alongside Triptii Dimri, Madhuri Dixit Nene and Kartik Aaryan. She was also seen in Do Aur Do Pyaar, with Pratik Gandhi, Ileana D'Cruz, and Sendhil Ramamurthy. In A Nutshell Vidya Balan got candid about how she was once asked by Vidhu Vinod Chopra to get a surgery done to fix her nose. She added that she had refused since she had never got anything done to her face.
Indian Express
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Sohail Khan's ex-wife Seema Sajdeh on finding love again at 49 with former fiance, why marriage is not on the cards: ‘I have two kids, my partner has…'
Seema Sajdeh, who was mostly known as the wife of actor Sohail Khan, rose to prominence when she appeared on Karan Johar's Netflix series Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives. While in the first season, she divorced her husband of 24 years, in the second season she navigated her life as a single mother and in the third, she introduced her viewers to her new partner, Vikram Ahuja. The same man she was engaged to before eloping with Sohail Khan in 1998. As Seema never spoke about the reason behind her divorce with her husband, in a recent interview with Filmfare, she said the only thing she cannot tolerate in a relationship is 'disrespect'. When asked about infidelity, Seema shared 'it cannot be a deal breaker'. She explained, 'I am not condoning infidelity but people do slip. It all depends on the situation and how you navigate through that phase and what you learn from it. Personally, I wouldn't regard infidelity as a deal-breaker, especially when you have children. Their stability comes before yours. Nevertheless, people separate and get divorced for various reasons. I am no one to judge.' ALSO READ | Disha Patani's sister Khushboo goes on expletive-laden rant against Aniruddhacharya, aka 'Pookie Baba', for his controversial remarks against women, calls his followers 'spineless' In the same interview, she spoke about finding love again in her late 40s. She shared, 'I have known Vikram since I was 13. We grew up together. Getting engaged was natural as we'd been seeing each other for so long. Eventually, our paths deviated because we were too young. Today, it's more of a solid friendship, a companionship that we enjoy. At this age, it's not the butterflies in your stomach feeling. Rather it's a sense of stability that I look for, something that will stay for the long run.' Speaking about marriage, Seema shared, 'I am going to be 49 soon. I have two children. My partner has two children. He's got a life. I have a life. And we both have a life together. When you are together without expecting anything, it's beautiful. I am not dependent on Vikram for anything. He's not dependent on me either. So being together is a conscious choice we have made without the pressure of getting married. We are comfortable and secure with each other. A piece of paper is not going to change that.' Previously, talking about her love story with Sohail Khan, Seema Sajdeh shared with Shivani Pau on her podcast: 'I actually met Sohail at Bhavana and Chunky's engagement and it was a whirlwind romance and then we got married.' She recalled she had just turned 22 and knew Sohail for 3 months when they decided to elope in the middle of the night. 'I had known Sohail for maybe three months and coming from this world where my parents did not want me to get married, they had other plans for me. I just kind of got up and eloped in the middle of the night.'
News18
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Vidya Balan On Playing Amitabh Bachchan's Mom In Paa: 'I Thought R Balki Had Lost It'
Vidya Balan says she was warned against playing Amitabh Bachchan's mother in Paa but trusted her gut and said yes anyway. Vidya Balan was warned it could be the end of her career. Saying yes to playing Amitabh Bachchan's mother on screen wasn't exactly the 'safe" choice — especially at a time when most actresses were chasing lead roles in big-budget romances. But 15 years after Paa hit theatres and as she marks two decades in Bollywood this August, Vidya has no regrets about trusting her gut. In a new chat with Filmfare, the actor looked back at the moment she agreed to take on the bold, unusual role — and the doubts she had to silence before saying yes. When R Balki first approached her with the idea, Vidya's initial response was honest and blunt. She recalled, 'I thought R Balki had lost it. He said he wanted Abhishek (Bachchan) and me to play Mr Bachchan's parents. It sounded absurd. But then he read me the script of Paa, and something shifted. I kept revisiting it, and the actor in me kept saying, 'Do it.' I was scared, though." The pressure from people around her didn't help. 'Everyone warned me that playing an older woman would end my career," Vidya said. But she took the script to a few trusted friends for a second opinion. 'I got a writer and an ad filmmaker friend to read it, and both insisted I do it. That's when I stopped listening to the noise and started listening to myself. I'd already done films that didn't speak to me. Though they worked, I hadn't enjoyed them. I never wanted to feel that disconnect again." Paa was released in 2009 and turned out to be both a critical and commercial success. Directed by R Balki, the drama featured Amitabh Bachchan as Auro, a 12-year-old boy living with progeria — a rare genetic disorder that causes rapid ageing. In an ironic twist on real life, Abhishek Bachchan played Auro's father, and Vidya, his mother. The film went on to win multiple awards, including Best Actor for Amitabh Bachchan and Best Hindi Feature Film at the National Awards, and remains one of Vidya's most standout performances in Bollywood. First Published: July 31, 2025, 10:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
