I never asked Vidya to pose nude

M. F. Husain has reportedly expressed anger at reports that he intended to paint a nude portrait of Vidya Balan.

The artist, currently a citizen of Qatar, famously upset members of India's Hindu community after depicting deities in an allegedly sexual manner.

Husain told The Times of India: "I would never ever even think like that. I have done several paintings of Madhuri Dixit but I have always captured her personality. I respect Vidya as an artiste and would never ask her or any artiste to pose nude for me."

He also revealed that he does not want to paint a life-like portrait of Anushka Sharma.

"Anushka has inspired me to do a painting of the quintessential Punjabi kudi [girl]," the artist said. "She was outstanding in Band Baaja Baaraat. She made the transition from a playful girl to an upright woman brilliantly."

Balan, Kapur to become engaged?

Vidya Balan may reportedly get engaged to Siddharth Roy Kapur.

According to The Times of India, the actress is rumoured to be in a relationship with the head of UTV Motion Pictures, with the pair said to be close to deciding to wed.

A top industry source told the newspaper: “Vid and Sid are close. And in the past weeks they have been spotted spending quality time with each other on two occasions.”

The critically-acclaimed actress recently worked in Siddharth’s No One Killed Jessica. The film corporation executive is not comfortable talking about his friendship with the actress as he is allegedly waiting for his divorce to come through.

However, Balan’s secretary commented: "Vidya has to first know Siddharth well enough to marry him. One doesn't necessarily marry people one is friendly to or has dinners with."

Balan will next be seen in The Dirty Picture.

Vidya Balan not baring all for Hussain's painting

Vidya Balan has not agreed to expose for a painting for acclaimed artist M.F. Hussain, says a close friend of the actress.

"The story is fabricated to damage her reputation and it hasn't gone down well with the actress who has always maintained a dignified stance both in her personal and professional life," said the friend.

Hussain finds Vidya's persona especially her face very sensual and cultured and a newspaper reported that she will bare all for his painting.

But Vidya, who will feature in Ekta Kapoor's "Dirty Pictures", has always maintained she would take up projects only with an aesthetic sense.

"The news is absolutely hysterical. We are in the month of February and not April. Vidya has always maintained a dignified image and is one of the most respected stars in the industry. The reports are fabricated by parties with vested interests and if ever Vidya does decide to get a painting done, it will strictly be her face. Hope this puts an end to the speculation," said the friend.

Ageing doesn't bother me

Vidya Balan has said that she is not fazed by comments about her looks, nor worried about ageing.

The 33-year old actress admitted that there was pressure on women to look young forever but said it was something that did not concern her.

"I don't think about ageing at all. I have lived a very happy life so far and I look forward to it. It may bother me if I am 50 but it is a long way [off]," Balan told PTI.

"I think women get better with age," she added. "Look at Rekha and my mother, they are getting better with age, be it beauty, brains or sensuality."

Referring to the criticism that she once received about her style, the actress said that it was something to which she no longer paid any attention.

"I take comments on my looks in my stride. There could be days when you are badly turned out or have a bad hair day but I don't care about it anymore," she added.

Vidya Balan Voted Hottest Vegan By PETA

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan is quite up the popularity list these days. The actress is winning accolades left right and center not only for her stellar performance in the recently released flick No One Killed Jessica, but also is high on the list of the hottest vegan celebrities.

Vidya Balan, who is known for her food fetish is actually a pure vegan and she has topped the list with the former union minister of state for External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor's name too featuring alongside hers in the list.

Vidya ,who looks too hot to handle despite being the target for her dressing sense sometime ago has certainly scaled heights and proved to her detractors that she is one of the most good looking people around tinsel town and along with that she houses a beautiful heart within that looks with kindness to animals.

However, the title hottest vegan won by Vidya is courtesy the PETA authorities who have placed her above the other celebrities on the list like Kareena Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, R.Madhavan, Lara Dutta, Mallika Sherawat, Shahid Kapoor besides the international hotties like Natalie Portman and Bryan Adams.

Well, seems like Vidya is all set to rock throughout this year with all the love and adulations being showered on her from various quarters. We do congratulate the beauty on this achievement too!

Vidya Balan Unapologetic

Vidya Balan sets the tone for a serious interview with her outfit - a sobre coloured sabya, little make up and thick glasses.

She talks about her film No One Killed Jessica and how the big names in the industry attended the premiere. She is candid in admitting that she pours all her resources into the characters and she does all the necessary homework before she reaches the sets.

When all her contemporaries are happiest essaying parts they can relate to and rejecting parts that's just not them, Vidya revels in playing characters that are so removed from who she is that there is none of her on screen.

She sees no fun in Vidya playing Vidya. That explains why this well-behaved Iyer girl agreed to play the porn star Silk Smitha in Dirty Picture.

With No One Killed Jessica already getting a positive buzz from the industry, it seems the actress is all set to begin 2011 on a high.

Nobody cares in Delhi

Vidya Balan has discovered a new side to Delhi. During her extensive shoot in the capital for "No One Killed Jessica", the Bollywood star walked through crowded streets and markets, even in old Delhi, and was quite surprised to find that people did not stop to watch the shooting. Delhiwallahs are as busy as Mumbaikars, the actress said.

"I always thought Delhi was a bit more relaxed than Mumbai where nobody walks aaram se (in a relaxed way). But through my walks in Delhi during the shoot of 'No One Killed Jessica', I realised that people don't have time to look at you. Life is as fast-paced here as in Mumbai, " Vidya told.

The 32-year-old essays the role of Sabrina Lall in the film, based on the murder case of model Jessica Lall, who was shot dead by Manu Sharma in 1999. For many scenes, Vidya had to shoot in perennially crowded areas like Connaught Place and Bhikaji Cama Place in the capital, but says she was surprised that no one waited to see the shooting, unlike earlier times.

"I give complete leeway to the fact that I was dressed differently - very plain and simply. I saw a mad rush of people in CP and Bhikaji Cama, but people didn't have time to stop and look at us. I had always heard that Mumbai is more used to stars and Delhi isn't used to stars, but even here, no one cared! This is one new side of Delhi that I got to explore, " she added.

Vidya spent a-month-and-a-half shooting in Delhi for the Rajkumar Gupta film, and says the experience was heart-warming. The film releases Friday.

"I actually walked through the streets of Delhi for the film. It's been a different and heart-warming experience because it wasn't like just shooting in one location. I had to walk through streets wearing absolutely plain clothes and shoot with hidden cameras to look like one of the people in the crowd.

"I won't be able to specify the streets I traversed, but I know I have been through both - Puraani Dilli and New Delhi. I have really explored Delhi like I could never have done alone and I don't think any Delhiite has explored Delhi the way I did during this shoot, " she said, sounding overwhelmed.

The actress who hails from Tamil Nadu loves Delhi's winter.

"It always feels so good to be back in Delhi, especially at this time of the year. It's so charming... we don't have this kind of weather in Mumbai. The streets are so much calmer during these days than the rest of the year. So I really like it."

Vidya Balan 'won't quit for marriage'

Vidya Balan has said that she refuses to give up acting when she gets married, unlike some other Bollywood actresses.

The 32-year-old star of upcoming film No One Killed Jessica said that, regardless of her relationship status, she has no plans to leave the industry.

"Acting is a part of who I am. I don't think I will remotely give it up for anything or anyone," Balan told IANS.

The actress said the idea that a woman has to give up her career after marriage is an old-fashioned one.

"In our profession, in the earlier days, the moment you got married, you ceased to be an object of desire, which is why a lot of actresses retired," she said. "Today, no longer."

Praising women who go back to work after having children, Balan added: "I think today women continue to work at every age. It's fantastic."

Vidya Balan Becomes The Hot Choice For Portraying Real Life Characters!

Vidya Balan, who debuted in Bollywood by portraying a very docile and sober character in Parineeta, has become a favorite choice for the filmmakers these days when it comes to playing a real life character.

Recently, Vidya has played the character of Sabrina Lall, the elder sister of Delhi based Jessica Lall, who was murdered on April 29, 1999 in the movie No One Killed Jessica. The 32-year-old actress is also set to play the South actress Silk Smitha's character in Milan Luthria directed film 'A Dirty Picture'. Vidya will be playing the hot seductive actress Smitha, who acted in more than 200 films in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi.

Now, the latest reports suggest that the simple and sweet looking Vidya has now got the offer to play the yesteryear classic Bollywood beauty Madhubala, who died of serious illness at only 36 years of age.

Everyone is aware of the fact that dancing diva Madhuri Dixit is often considered to be the best actress to play Madhubala. It is because of her close similarity with the actress and her dancing talent. However, Madhuri has now almost left Bollywood and she has become 43! So, the makers have probably settled on Vidya Balan, who is the most suitable actress to play Madhubala from this generation and age is also not a bar in her case.

Earlier in 2009, there was a buzz that director Shashanka Ghosh is planning a film based on the love story of Kishore Kumar and Madhubala. He was supposed to have considered Balan's name for playing Madhubala whereas Aamir Khan was supposed to play the legendary singer Kishore Kumar.

Moreover, she has got the experience of playing real life characters so people can easily identify with her in such roles. We hope she takes up the challenging job and after so many years we can revive the memories of Madhubala!

Balan, Ali Khan 'reunite on new project'

Vidya Balan is to work on a new production alongside Saif Ali Khan.

Balan, who won critical acclaim for her work opposite the actor in Parineeta, will feature with Khan in a new project, reports NDTV.

A source revealed that the two stars would share screen space in Dream Sequence: "Initially, Deepika Padukone was to do the role. The casting of the duo together after Love Aaj Kal had its appeal.

"But the actress begged off when she heard that the chote nawab was having second thoughts and that Abhay Deol would fill in for him."
The project is to release under Balaji Motion pictures and will be directed by Vishal Bhardwaj.

"The actress, director and producer are keen to work together in this film and are currently working on the dates, " added the source.

Mariah Carey 'enjoyed working with mother'

Mariah Carey has described the "lovely experience" of working with her mother on her latest album, and hopes to record more material with her in the future.

Patricia Carey - who usually performs opera - recorded vocals on her daughter's festive compilation Merry Christmas II You, on the tracks 'O Come All Ye Faithful' and 'Halleluiah Chorus'.

Mariah revealed to People that there may be more duets between the pair in the future: "Many people know that my mother is a trained opera singer, so I guess it was only a matter of time before we both got onto a record together.

"It was a lovely experience being in the studio together, and I'm very happy that I have this documented for the rest of my life."

Guess What Is Vidya Balan's Secret Passion!

Guess what is Bollywood actress Vidya Balan's hobby? Well it is a little unusual we agree, but nevertheless true to the actress' tastes.

After suffering much criticism for sporting western outfits in a couple of films, Vidya Balan is back to wearing what she looks best in, the traditional Indian outfit, the sari. And now we hear that collecting saris is her secret passion. Reports claim that the Indian femme fatale has a collection of saris which can take any Indian woman by surprise. Yes, Vidya Balan currently owns more than 500 pieces of the traditional Indian drape.

Her sari collection comprises of a variety of fabrics and the actress says that she tries to take the best possible care of each piece of sari that is currently inside her wardrobe, washing and preserving them well. And if you thought that the only designer's saris that the actress likes sporting is her favorite Sabyasachi Mukherjee, think again. Vidya Balan has said in an interview that it is not only the Kolkata man, but also several other designers' saris that she has purchased to add to her existing collection of saris.

One question we would like to ask Vidya is why does she choose to stick to only Sabyasachi Mukherjee when it comes to sporting a sari at an event. We would advise her to try some other designers too!

Balan admits to having breakdown on set

Vidya Balan has revealed that she had a nervous breakdown on the set of her latest film.

The actress had an outburst during the shooting of No One Killed Jessica, The Times of India has reported.

She told the paper: "Yes, it happened a few days ago, and it scared the hell out of me and everyone in the unit.

"I don't know what happened to me. I just broke down. It was work pressure. In the past three months I didn't have a day's respite. It was crazy."

It was recently reported that Balan fell out with No One Killed Jessica co-star Rani Mukherjee on set.

Mukherjee and Balan 'fall out on new film'

Rani Mukherjee and Vidya Balan are reported to have fallen out.
According to The Times of India, the actresses did not speak to each other during the making of No One Killed Jessica.

A source for the newspaper revealed: "Rani and Vidya have shot most of their scenes together. There were times when they were the only actors on the sets but still they would not sit and chat after the director called cut.

"Not even the breaks on the sets inspired them to interact with each other or discuss their scenes."

It has been suggested that Bunty Aur Bably actress Mukherjee remained distant from her younger co-star throughout the making of the film in Delhi.

"Rani had this aura around her of being the senior actress. She has been in the industry for much longer than Vidya and due to her attitude she seems very unapproachable to her co-stars," added the source.

Ishqiya to be screened at Cairo film fest

Acclaimed film Ishqiya has been chosen to be screened at the 34th Cairo International Film Festival to be held on Nov 30-Dec 9.

The dark drama, co-produced by Vishal Bharadwaj and Shemaroo Entertainment, features Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi in key roles.

Set in eastern Uttar Pradesh, it is a tale of romance between individuals caught in a web of crime, suspense, passion and deceit. The film received a warm response in India, and is now also reaching out to international audiences.

"We are getting an overwhelming response from people worldwide. The film has already participated in around five international film festivals and is appreciated by all," Hiren Gada, director, Shemaroo Entertainment, said in a press statement.

"Ishqiya", debut directed by Abhishek Chaubey, has earlier been showcased at various film festivals, including the Munich Film Festival, Melbourne Film Festival as well as the Indian Film Festival of London.

Vidya’s crash course in belly dancing

Actress Vidya Balan, who is doing her first ever special dance number in Santosh Sivan’s movie Urmi, is attempting to pull off belly dancing. We have learnt through sources close to the actor that she has hired a belly dancing instructor who is giving her a crash course in the dance genre.

We have also heard that Vidya is putting in at least five hours a day to master the dance form before she goes ahead with the shoot. “Many people in Bollywood who do particularly difficult dance sequences like belly dancing have been caught off guard while shooting and the result on screen has been heavily criticised because they did it without mastering the art.

We all know that Vidya is a perfectionist and her awards and accolades speak for itself. The minute she heard that she is going to do a belly dancing act, she got herself a trainer to teach her the tricks of the dance form. It will be interesting to see Vidya do belly dancing,” says an informer close to the star. We have also learnt that Santosh has been so impressed with Vidya’s dedication that from doing just an dance number, she will now be doing a cameo, too.

Vidya Balan do a voluptuous Silk Smitha

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan is going to enact the late South Indian sensation Silk Smitha. Now, if everything goes well, she will be accompanied by another Bollywood star Ajay Devgn in this forthcoming film, which deals with Smitha's life.

The movie is being made by television queen Ekta kapoor's Balaji telefilms. The officials from the production house are likely to discuss with Ajay on this topic very soon. Ajay has recently worked with Balaji in his latest release Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai.

A sourced was quoted saying that Ajay is supposed to essay the role of a renowned filmmaker, who was involved with the actress Silk Smitha in her glory days. The source added the movie won't deal with the entire life of Silk Smitha, rather it will concentrate more on her relationships.

However, Vidya is also yet to sign the papers to finalize her inclusion in this project. But the director Milan Luthria is very much interested to sign Vidya to play the role.

The source further said that a Malyalam girl with a very Indian type of body is required for this role and Vidya fits the bill perfectly. If both the actors sign the project, it will be their second film together. The first was Halla Bol.

Vidya Balan to do an Uma Thurman in Kill Bill Remake

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan is not in the rat race to become no. 1 in the industry, but she has her own niche and a selected number of fans too.

The actress has now impressed the director Sujoy Ghosh of Jhankaar Beats fame and the director has reportedly signed the talented actress in the lead role of his next film, which will be a remake of Hollywood flick Kill Bill.

Vidya will reprise the role played by Hollywood actress Uma Thurman. So, it will be yet another path breaking role for Vidya Balan, who has created history when she played mother to Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in Paa.

Our reporter found out that Sujoy's movie is the remake of top Hollywood revenge drama Kill Bill. Vidya will be seen in a role that is close to that played by Uma Thurman. Our source added that the director found Vidya appropriate to play the character of a woman, who is betrayed by the people she trusts and then how she takes revenge from them.

This will be a challenging role for Vidya as she was never seen performing bold stunts on screen earlier. The source further said that it will be the first action film of Vidya, who is usually seen in romantic roles.

Vidya is also very excited to perform those brave stunts and action sequences and she is looking forwards to work with a brilliant director like Sujoy Ghosh, the source said.

Hopefully, Vidya succeeds to impress the audience with her stunts acts as she has done with her romantic performances earlier!

Vidya Balan clarifies film rumours

Vidya Balan has denied that she was replaced in Sanjay Dutt's home production Rascals.

The actress stated that reports she was replaced by Kangna Ranaut are untrue, the Hindustan Times reports.

"How can I be replaced when I was never in the film? I'm very fond of Sanju and had he asked, I would have happily done his film," said Balan.

The star confirmed that she was approached for the sequel to Dhamaal, but was unable to be a part of it.

"Director Indra Kumar has made some memorable films and hopefully and he'll come to me with a Beta or Raja soon," she said.

Balan has recently completed work on No One Killed Jessica with Rani Mukerji.