Vidya Balan

Vidya Balan did something in Hindi cinema that sounds simple and almost never happens: she carried commercial hit films as the sole lead, no hero required. In an industry built around male stardom, that is close to a structural achievement, and she did it more than once.

Parineeta launched her as a throwback to an older, warmer kind of heroine; The Dirty Picture, her fearless turn as the actress Silk Smitha, won a National Award and rewrote what a mainstream leading lady could look like; and Kahaani proved a woman-led thriller could open big. She has been open about resisting the industry’s pressure to conform on body and image, which made her a genuine figurehead.

Married to the producer Siddharth Roy Kapur, she remains one of the more thoughtful voices whenever a camera is pointed her way. The pack always makes room.

Everything below is from our own cameras.

More on Vidya Balan: en.wikipedia.org