Passion for acting saved me from casting couch: Vidya Balan

Actress Vidya Balan says it is thanks to her passion for acting that she didn't fall prey to the casting couch in the Hindi film industry.

"I'm very fortunate that I never came across anything like casting couch or exploitation. This was all because I was very passionate about acting, but not desperate about work," the National Award winning actress revealed here at casting director Mukesh Chhabra's studio.

"In all these years, nobody said any such thing that would hurt me. Most importantly, I didn't let anybody do anything wrong to me," she added.

Advising newcomers to safeguard themselves against casting couch, the 37-year-old said: It depends on you. Even if something like this (casting couch or exploitation) has happened to you, then don't be harsh on yourselves.

"...No role and no film is the end of the world. It could be the beginning, but it is never the end," Vidya said.
Actress Vidya Balan prefers to maintain silence on reports that she has been approached to portray Pakistan's former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in an upcoming biopic. She says "many biopics" have come her way.

Asked about the reported project, Vidya said: "Even I have heard that I am doing some films this year, but I don't know actually ... many biopics have been offered to me.

"I have not decided anything yet. So I would not like to say anything about any biopic right now."

Vidya, who portrayed Silk Smitha in "The Dirty Picture" in 2011, won the Best Actress National Film Award for her performance.