Actress Vidya Balan, who will soon be seen in thriller Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh, says she is strict about the roles she picks.
“Many times it happens that though I like the story and the character I have been asked to play, I do not take that up. As an actress, I tend to contribute to the film. So I choose a film that I can do justice to,” Balan said.
The actress was speaking at the trailer launch of the film in Mumbai.
Kahaani 2 is a stand-alone sequel to 2012 film Kahaani, which also had Balan in the lead.
Talking about her experience shooting the new film, Balan said: “We went to a small place in Kalimpong [West Bengal] for shooting. I think since the place is a little isolated, we managed to keep it a secret. On the other hand, it is a thriller film. So, one should know everything only when watching the film.”
In the film, Balan plays Durga Rani Singh, who unveils the dark past of Vidya Bagchi (Balan’s character in Kahaani).
Balan has acted in a number of women-centric films, but this has not been a conscious choice.
“I did not take the onus of doing women-centric films. We have good writers... and the credit goes to them for a good story. I was lucky to be at the right place doing the right thing,” she said.
Balan said she has often butted heads with Kahaani and Kahaani 2 director Sujoy Ghosh.
“Sujoy and I wanted to work together for a film but it did not work out. Then I had health issues so I went on break. Sujoy and I love fighting but when we work together we give our best. We were not talking to each other... [then] when we started talking again we did Te3n and Kahaani 2,” Balan said.
Ghosh said he approached the sequel to Kahaani from a completely new angle.
“We have Durga Rani Singh this time. When we set out to make this film, we made a very conscious decision not to have anything attached to Kahaani. We made a separate story; it has to be completely independent. We are going to be compared so rather not attach any spill over from Kahaani,” Ghosh said.
For Balan, doing the first part, Kahaani, was the most challenging thing she had ever done at the time.
“With age and experience you grow and I knew Durga Rani Singh better. I don’t think I would have been able to do Kahaani 2 four years ago. I am better equipped to do it now,” she said.
In the sequel, the Paa actress will be seen in a stripped-down look.
“Sujoy wanted a realistic look. We had a low make-up look,” she said.
To promote the film, the makers released a poster saying “Wanted Durga Rani Singh” across Mumbai. It was a little too convincing, Balan said.
“I got a very good response. A maid at my place felt I am in trouble after looking at the poster. Another girl felt Durga Rani Singh is a criminal. I think we succeeded in creating buzz,” she said.
Asked about the name, Durga Rani Singh, Ghosh said: “We really liked that name so we kept that. I think a sequel should have an identity of its own whether it’s Vidya Bagchi or Durga Rani Singh. Instead of calling it just Kahaani 2 we must have an identification.”
Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh also stars Arjun Rampal and is slated to release in India on December 2.
