Bollywod actress Vidya Balan, who makes her Marathi film debut with Ekk Albela, insisted its makers include Lata Mangeshkar’s famous song Shaam Dhale Khidki Tale from Albela in the film.
“I like all songs of Albela, but Shaam Dhale Khidki Tale has always been my favourite song. When Shekhar ji [director Shekhar Sartandel) and Munish ji [producer Monish Babre] had come home, I asked them, ‘aren’t we shooting this song?’. They actually weren’t planning on it, but very sweetly in a montage they added it. So thank you very much for that,” Balan said at the launch of the song “Shola Jo Bhadke” from the film.
Ekk Albela is a biopic on the life of Bhagwan Dada, whom the trailer calls India’s first dancing and action hero. Mangesh Desai plays Bhagwan Dada. The film tells the story of the challenges Dada faced in making the popular film Albela, which starred Dada and Geeta Bali, and was popular for songs such as Shaam Dhale Khidki Tale, Shola Jo Bhadke and more.
Balan plays Bali in a guest appearance.
About her preparation for the role, she said: “I just saw the songs as I have been a fan of Geeta ji and of this film. I saw the film again... I have tried to adapt her nuances. I know that I don’t look at all like Geeta ji. I have attempted to look like her, to act like her, her expressions, how she would move her hands.
“She played with her face, with her eyes, with her hands, her fingers spoke so much, she used her wrists beautifully and most of the shots are close-up. What I realised is that there is not so much of body, but the eyes, the smile, all of that was what really was her charm. I hope I have done it decently. You don’t see all shades of her. You see Geeta Bali, the star, you see me recreating the songs. I don’t think it’s a biopic.”
Is she open to doing a full-fledged biopic on Geeta Bali? “Of course, I’d love it. But I’ll have to put in a lot more work to look like her,” she said.
it wouldn’t be the first time: Balan revealed that she was offered close to ten biopics following the success of The Dirty Picture.
“After The Dirty Picture, I was offered eight to ten biopics but since I had done The Dirty Picture, I wanted to do it later. Then I got this opportunity. But this is not a biopic on Geeta Bali. You don’t see all shades of her. I think I get dragged to real life stories.”
Balan added that she’s a “greedy” actor and wants to play roles in all languages, not just the Hindi film industry.
“I wanted to do a Marathi film as I am from Mumbai... I was born and brought up here so, I know their culture. There couldn’t have been a first Marathi film for me better than this. I am looking at Marathi scripts. A few films didn’t work,” she said.
“I am also doing a Malayalam film which is a biopic. I am a greedy actor. Wherever I will get a role, I will go.”
