Sujoy Ghosh, in a new interview, opened up on Vidya Balan’s casting in his 2012 film Kahaani.
Sujoy Ghosh’s 2012 thriller Kahaani, spearheaded by Vidya Balan, was well appreciated by the critics and the audience for its watertight screenplay and top-notch performances. The film was a turning point in Sujoy’s career, and is also considered one of Vidya’s best works.
But do you guys know how Vidya come on board for this acclaimed film? Director Sujoy Ghosh spilled the beans about it in his latest interview with Mashable India. The filmmaker revealed that he had seen her in a commercial and had resolved to work with her someday.
Sujoy said, “Long ago, I had watched an ICICI advertisement where a soldier is getting ready to go to war frontline and his wife is waving goodbye to him. That actress was Vidya Balan. I wanted to work with that girl. Then suddenly one day, I visited Sanjay Gupta’s office. That day, Vidya too, had come to his office to hear a narration for Meghna Gulzar with her manager. I knew her manager because he used to be Juhi’s manager. So, I knew him from the days of Jhankaar Beats.”
The ‘Badla’ director recalled, “That day, we made a pact, exchanging Rs 1 coins, promising to work together in the future. It took years, but despite my previous films, she remembered that promise.”
Made on a modest budget, Kahaani emerged as a commercial success at the box office.
However while filming the mystery thriller, Sujoy faced various challenges, and recalled how they couldn’t even provide a vanity van for their leading lady Vidya Balan due to financial constraints. Instead, she often had to change outfits in a Toyota Innova parked on the roadside, covered with a black cloth to maintain her privacy.
Expressing his gratitude for Vidya’s dedication and commitment to Kahaani, he continued, “After the failure of Aladin, Vidya could have easily said no to Kahaani. But she is a person of her word. That generation of actors, from Amitabh Bachchan to Shah Rukh Khan, are very zubaan ka pakka (true to their word). Vidya also falls under that category. She stuck to Kahaani.”
On the work front, Sujoy is currently working on his next film King, featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Suhana Khan and Abhishek Bachchan.
