Bollywood actress Vidya Balan is the featured star on the cover page of Filmfare Magazine for the month of January 2011.

Vidya Balan and Abhishek Bachchan, will co-star again in Abaan Deohans’ ‘Hum Rahey Naa Hum,’ a contemporary film on relationships.

Ad director Abaan says Abhishek and Vidya were always her first choice as lead stars.

"Vidya is a very good actress with a rare vulnerability, while Abhishek has a persona that can pull off modern and western roles," Abaan told Mumbai Mirror.

Both Abhishek and Vidya are reported to have loved Abaan’s script. Abaan has worked with Vidya in many ad films. Abaan’s cinematographer husband Kiran Deohans was the executive producer of Abhishek Bachchan’s Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey.

Mouthing expletives for her role in “Ishqiya” embarrassed Vidya Balan as she says she never uses foul language in real life.

“Oh! I was very apprehensive while using those slangs. I have never used them in my real life but I had to because the script demanded. When you will see this movie, you will understand that it is justified. The movie belongs to a certain terrain where slangs are part of their lingo,” Vidya told IANS in an interview.

The actress also revealed that she never rehearsed on the sets because of the heavy dose of slangs in the dialogue.

“I never rehearsed on the sets as I used to feel awkward. So I used to come prepared on the sets and once the director used to say action, I used to forget everything and everyone.

“All my inhibitions used to go away and I used to deliver my dialogues perfectly. This is what happens to me when the camera starts rolling,” said Vidya, who was in the capital for the launch of designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s first store here.

Set in eastern Uttar Pradesh, “Ishqiya” is a tale of romance between individuals caught in a web of crime, suspense, passion and deceit. Directed by first time director Abhishek Chaubhey and produced by Vishal Bharadwaj, the film also stars Arshad Warsi and Naseeruddin Shah.

In “Ishqiya”, Vidya is paired with Arshad and plays a village woman.

“As I am playing a rural girl, my look is very much deglamourised so that I look like my character Krishna. It is an interesting role with many shades,” said Vidya.

Dismissing rumours that some parts of “Ishqiya” are being re-shot, she said: “I don’t understand where people get these baseless news. It is complete nonsense.”

Vidya Balan, who plays Amitabh Bachchan’s mother in “Paa”, was so impressed by Abhishek’s caring behaviour towards his father during the shooting that she confesses she would like to have a son like Abhishek in real life.

“I would prefer a son like Abhishek. I have seen him with his father on the sets… he was so nice to his father that I was touched,” Vidya told reporters here Saturday.

Director R. Balakrishnan’s “Paa” is an emotional story of a father-son relationship and Amitabh will be seen as Abhishek’s 13-year-old son Auro who is suffering from a rare disease progeria, that accelerates ageing. The film releases Dec 4.

“The film is all about Auro and all through the film there is a certain sensibility about Auro, but no sympathy is shown towards the 13-year-old progeric child in the film,” said Vidya.

When the director approached her for the role, she wasn’t sure about playing the mother of a progeric child. “Initially, I wondered how to do the role as I didn’t have that motherly instinct. But while working on the film I realised what motherhood is,” said Vidya.

Vidya Balan’s sister Priyamaniis making her Bollywood debut with Mani Ratnam’s Raavan. The South actress plays the important character of Raavan’s (Abhishek Bachchan) sister Shoorpankha.

A source from the unit reveals, "Mani’s production team initially approached the South top actress Nayantara  for the role of Shoorpankha but she refused. Also many top Bollywood actresses were approached for the role of Shoorpankha but they refused it because they didn’t want to play Abhishek Bachchan’s sister. Abhishek is a dishy actor, and not many actresses want to ruin their chances of being paired romantically opposite him by playing his sister in Raavan."

Priyamani will play Shoorpankha in the Tamil and Hindi versions, just like Aishwarya  is playing Sita in both versions. Priyamani  won the National Film Award for her role in the Tamil film Paruthi Veeran (2006). She also won a Filmfare South Award for her role in the Malayalam film Thirakkatha  (2008).

The film is ‘Ishqiya’ where a scene has been created because the heroine of the film Vidya Balan steadfastly put her foot down for not getting prepared to kiss her co-star Arshad Warsi. We wonder why, because we have seen Ms. Balan liplock with Maddy for Mani Rathnam’s ‘Guru’.

Reports suggest that the film’s unit was shooting at the Borivilli National Park last week where many shots for ‘Ishqiya’ were filmed. Among them was one shot which involved the lip-lock scene between the hero and the heroine. When Vidya was asked to do it she called off the shots much to the shock and surprise of the entire team.

What is more surprising is that while the actress had canned intimate scenes with her co-star why she had to call off the smooching scenes alone. Well the actress was not available for comment on this. But sources reveal that Vishal Bhardwaj, who is the producer of the film has decided to have a chat with Vidya regarding the same.

The team of ‘Ishqiya’ is sure that after a chat with Vishal, Vidya would be prepared for doing the shot.

We hope you have your mouth freshener ready Arshad, just in case you might need them!

Shahid Kapur is the lucky boy these days as many beautiful ladies of Bollywood are keeping as eye on his life. Kareena’s recent comments stated her thoughts about Priyanka not being good enough for Shahid, and now it’s Vidya Balan’s turn to get possessive about him.

Since the cool dude Shahid and Piggy Chops are neighbors, they visit each other repeatedly.  The recent news is that Bollywood’s girl-next-door Vidya has bought an apartment in Shahid’s building and will be moving in shortly.

Vidya and Shahid have always stated that they just share a good professional relationship, but the truth seems to be very different.  It seems like Vidya is getting possessive about Shahid as recent buzz states that he is romancing with Priyanka these days.

Our advice to Shahid would be to openly confess his relationship with Priyanka if they’re actually going out so that the other gorgeous ladies can back off!

The Parineeta girl Vidya Balan is on a high and she has all the reasons for being high. Vidya is currently shooting for “Pa”, and guess what she is shooting with her favourite two co stars. Vidya is feeling honoured sharing screen space with Amitabh and Abhishek together, she also can’t stop thanking Balki, who thought she would be perfect to star in the movie.

A friend of Vidya’s said, “Vidya is having a great time shooting with Balki and the Bachchans. She is overwhelmed and is thanking Balki who thought she would be perfect for the role. Vidya has really been working hard and now she has proved that she is the superstar to be looked upto.”

The whole cast crew is having a ball of a time shooting for the movie. There is great atmosphere around and Vidya is having her best time of her life.

Actress Vidya Balan has always been known for her special expressions she gives when she does intimate scenes with her costars.

She shot to fame with Parinita where she did such shots with Saif Ali Khan, then in one other film with John Abraham she did weave her magic.

But then she had lost this special touch some where down the line, but now that special intimate scenes would again set the screen on fire.

Vidya is acting with Arshad Warsi in the Vishal Bharadwaj film Ishkiya where she is getting intimate with the actor.

Insider news is also that she has done a lip-lock with him in the film. Let us wait for this film to enjoy Vidya Balan’s special display!!

The graceful Bollywood Actress Vidya Balan who turned a year older on January 1, has turned a new leaf.

After her abortive attempts to revamp her wardrobe in Heyy Baby and Kismat Connection Vidya has decided to go easy on the glam ramp.normal_vidya28 Im dying to work with Aamir says Vidya

“It’s not as though I’m disowning my efforts to do glamorous roles. I’m proud of Heyy Baby and Kismat Connection. But this year I’m doing films that don’t need me to stretch my personality. I’m very happy doing roles that come naturally to me. That’s what I decided about my career this year.”

Vidya has just given the nod to Nikhil (Chandni Chowk To China) Advani’s next film which would surprise many.

Advani’s Chand Bhai is a raw realistic songless film on juvenile delinquency.

Says Vidya, “It’s nothing like the high-flying glam-wham stuff that one expects from Nikhil after Chandni Chowk. Chand Bhai is a stark very real kind of drama. And I get to co-star with a very talented actor Akshaye Khanna with whom I was in Nikhil’s Salaam-e-Ishq though we had just one passing shot together.”

Vidya gladly admits Chand Bhai doesn’t feature her in the central role.

“The film revolves around the delinquent boy’s character. But I’m very happy to be part of a film that addresses itself an important social issue. This year I think I’m done with searching for various bylanes to my screen identity.

All my forthcoming films have a sharp sense of social purpose, and that definitely includes Vibhu Puri’s Chenab Gandhi which I’m enormously excited about because it’s produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.”

Vidya has been attending costume and reading sessions for Chenab Gandhi and is spellbound by the script. “But I haven’t really interacted that much with my co-star Hurman as yet. With Mr Bachchan who plays the title role, I share a lifelong bonding.

Right from Eklavya we’ve been paired in so many films right up to Chenab Gandhi and now Balki’s Pa. If I did all the films last year that I was offered with Mr Bachchan I wouldn’t be working with anyone else, ” says Vidya, adding she’s excited to work with Abhishek Bachchan for the first time in Pa.

“We’ve never been paired together.It would be interesting to have another interesting co-star to work with, ” says Vidya who went to Panchgani for her birthday this year, with her parents, sister and brother-in-law.

“It’s very rare for all five of us in the family to be together. My birthday falls on a very unforgettable day, the New Year. It’s preceded by Christmas, so we all take time off to be together.

Another advantage of being born on the first day of the year is, no one can claim to forget your birthday, ” she says with loud laughter.

Vidya recently saw Ghajini and was bowled over by Aamir Khan. “I’m dying to work with Aamir. And Shah Rukh of course is my favourite. I said on Sajid Khan’s chat show I want to kill Shah Rukh’s wife. No one took me seriously. There was no enhancement in the security around her. Sad.”