Recently Bollywood star Vidya Balan, in a new interview, recalled an incident when another female actor commented on her sartorial choices. While Vidya thought to herself that the actor would do well to focus on her acting skills first, she was too ‘stunned’ to react at the time.

In one of her interviews, Vidya Balan said, “One actress I remember told me something about my dressing sense. I wanted to turn around and tell her, ‘First, why don’t you focus on your acting?’”

On being asked if Vidya said anything to her in response, she said no. “Jab unhone mujhse yeh kaha (When she said this to me), I was so stunned that she had the gall to say something like that to me, because it’s none of her business, that I came out feeling like ‘what just happened,” she said. 

“And then I thought to myself, ‘Kapdo ke bare mein baat Karna about aasaan hai, actor agar ho to thodi si acting bhi kar lo (It is easy to talk about clothes, but if you are an actor, then at least act a little),’” she said.

Vidya Balan is known for her love for Indian wear, particularly sarees and salwar suits. Last year, on the occasion of National Handloom Day, she urged her fans and followers to support traditional weaves and local businesses. “On #NationalHandloomDay let us all resolve to support our weavers across the country in these difficult times by buying and wearing their beautiful creations in our everyday life and also help keep #India’sHandloomLegacy alive. Appreciate the labor of love,” she wrote. 

Meanwhile, Vidya was last seen in Amit Masurkar’s Sherni, in which she played the lead role of a field forest officer named Vidya Vincent. The film was released on Amazon Prime Video last month to largely positive reviews.

Vidya Balan:

Vidya Balan is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Hindi cinema. She is known for pioneering a change in the portrayal of women with her roles in female-led films, she is the recipient of several awards, including a National Film Award and six Filmfare Awards. She was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2014.