Vidya Balan On Feeling 'Targeted' For Her 'Hey Babyy' Costumes At An Award Show: I Was Shattered

Actress Vidya Balan has encountered her fair share of challenges in the film industry. During an episode of the podcast ‘Unfiltered with Samdish,’ the actress disclosed that she faced nepotism, particularly when she received the Na-Real Award at the 2008 Filmfare Awards for her costumes in Sajid Khan’s 2007 ‘Heyy Babyy.’

“When they told me they’re going to give me the Na-Real Award, I said, ‘Why me? My clothes are not just my choice, right?’ At that time, I was too new to have an opinion on anything. So they said, ‘No, we’re just doing this fun segment so we’re going to give you this award.’ So I said, ‘Fine, but I’m going to share it with the costume designer and the director,’ and they said, ‘No, you mustn’t do that.’ And that, I think, is not nice,” she said.

Upon reaching the venue, she revealed that she discovered that the other actress who was also supposed to receive the Na-Real Award had backed out. Feeling ‘targeted,’ she opted to name her director and costume designer on stage while accepting the award, which sparked controversy later on and led to her receiving backlash from members within the film industry.

“At that night, I was shattered. I was shattered because I was very alone. I realized that yes; it does make a difference when you don’t come from a film family because no one outside you is looking out for you. It felt like bullying to me. It was. It undoubtedly was. Just because I don’t come with a certain shield, you can’t… I thought it was a joke so it was okay. But when I realized I was the only one being made fun of, it wasn’t funny anymore,” the ‘Kahaani’ actress went on to say.

In case you weren’t aware, what had happened was that co-hosts Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan were asked to present the award (shaped like a coconut) to the actress, who was seated in the audience. Despite her initial hesitation, they encouraged her to be a good sport. And during her acceptance speech, she said, “I was asked to trust Sajid (Khan) and Manish (Malhotra).”

Presently, on the work front, the actress was last seen in ‘Do Aur Do Pyaar.’ She will soon reprise her role as the iconic character of Manjulika in ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3.’