National award-winner actress Vidya Balan says she is “not aware” if she has replaced Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Sujoy Ghosh’s “Durga Rani Singh”. Vidya, 37, recently met her “Kahaani” director and patched up after their apparent fallout post the 2012 hit thriller.
There were reports of Ghosh having offered her the biopic “Durga Rani Singh”, which Aishwarya was supposed to be a part of.
“Not aware of that,” the actress told reporters here, at the opening ceremony of 17th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, when asked if she had replaced Aishwarya in the project. Before Aishwarya, the film was offered to Kangana Ranaut.
Kangana Ranaut will be next seen in the role of a 1940s actress in Vishal Bhardwaj’s upcoming drama “Rangoon”, alongside Shahid Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan.
On the occasion, the 28-year-old “Queen” star said her role was “physically demanding” in the love-triangle. “The role is physically demanding, with things like riding, belle…It is tough,” Kangana said.
Filmmakers Dibakar Banerjee and Anand Patwardhan were among the 10 film personalities who have returned their National Awards in solidarity with FTII students and against growing intolerance in the country.
Dibakar Banerjee and other filmmakers said their decision to return the awards was taken in view of the ‘apathy displayed by the government’ in addressing the issues raised by the FTII students and the ‘general environment of intolerance’ against debate.
On Wednesday, the FTII students ended their 139-day-old strike against the appointment of actor and BJP member Gajendra Chauhan as chairman of the prestigious institute, but said they would continue to seek his removal.
Meanwhile, Vidya also said she was not interested in joining politics and would ‘fail miserably’ at it.
She also said that working towards social causes should be an individual decision and no one should be compelled to work for a particular cause.
On Wednesday, the FTII students ended their 139-day-old strike against the appointment of actor and BJP member Gajendra Chauhan as chairman of the prestigious institute, but said they would continue to seek his removal.
Meanwhile, Vidya also said she was not interested in joining politics and would ‘fail miserably’ at it.
She also said that working towards social causes should be an individual decision and no one should be compelled to work for a particular cause.
