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- 47 yrs
- Birthday in 65 days
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Vidya Balan is a Hindi film actress credited with proving that films led by women could succeed commercially. Her roles in Ishqiya, The Dirty Picture and Kahaani won wide praise, and she received the National Film Award for Best Actress for The Dirty Picture.
Biography
Early life
Vidya Balan was born into a Tamil family with roots in Palakkad, Kerala, and grew up in Chembur, Mumbai. She first appeared on television as a teenager in the sitcom Hum Paanch (1995) and studied sociology at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, while struggling to break into films; several of her early projects were cancelled.
Debut and early success
After a Bengali film, Bhalo Theko (2003), she made her Hindi debut in Parineeta (2005), winning the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. She followed it with Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007) and Paa (2009), in which she played the mother of a boy with progeria.
Leading lady
Ishqiya (2010), No One Killed Jessica (2011), The Dirty Picture (2011), inspired by the life of actress Silk Smitha, and the thriller Kahaani (2012) made her the face of a new kind of Hindi film driven by a female lead. The Dirty Picture won her the National Film Award for Best Actress.
Later work
She has continued to choose character-led stories, including Tumhari Sulu (2017), Mission Mangal (2019), the biopic Shakuntala Devi (2020) and Sherni (2021). She received the Padma Shri in 2014 and is married to film producer Siddharth Roy Kapur.
Timeline
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1979
Born
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1995
Television debut in Hum Paanch
-
2005
Hindi film debut in Parineeta
-
2009
Paa
-
2010
Ishqiya
-
2011
The Dirty Picture
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2012
Kahaani; National Film Award for Best Actress
-
2014
Padma Shri
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2017
Tumhari Sulu
-
2020
Shakuntala Devi
Notable works
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2005
Parineeta Film
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2009
Paa Film
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2010
Ishqiya Film
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2011
The Dirty Picture Film
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2012
Kahaani Film
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2017
Tumhari Sulu Film
Awards and honours
-
Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut
2006 · Parineeta.
-
National Film Award for Best Actress
2012 · The Dirty Picture.
-
Padma Shri
2014
Did you know?
-
1
Her first screen role was in the TV sitcom Hum Paanch.
-
2
Several of her early film projects were shelved before her debut.
-
3
She played mathematician Shakuntala Devi in a 2020 biopic.
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is Vidya Balan?
Vidya Balan is a Hindi film actress credited with proving that films led by women could succeed commercially. Her roles in Ishqiya, The Dirty Picture and Kahaani won wide praise, and she received the National Film Award for Best Actress for The Dirty Picture.
How old is Vidya Balan?
Vidya Balan is 47 years old, born on 1 January 1979.
Where is Vidya Balan from?
Vidya Balan was born in India.
What is Vidya Balan known for?
Vidya Balan is best known for Parineeta, Paa, Ishqiya, The Dirty Picture, Kahaani, Tumhari Sulu.
What awards has Vidya Balan received?
Notable honours include Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut (2006), National Film Award for Best Actress (2012), Padma Shri (2014).
Who is Vidya Balan married to?
Spouse: Siddharth Roy Kapur (m. 2012).
References
- Vidya Balan — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Vidya Balan — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Vidya Balan — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Vidya Balan — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Vidya Balan (Q159166) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Vidya Balan”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 27 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Vidya Balan.” TrackFame, last updated 28 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/vidya-balan
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