‘Who Does He Think He Is?’: Vidya Balan Gave 'Gaalis' During Parineeta Auditions

Parineeta – the musical romantic drama that marked Vidya Balan’s grand Bollywood debut – has completed 20 years since its release. To mark the milestone, producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra hosted a special screening of the film in Mumbai. The evening turned nostalgic as Chopra shared the story of how Vidya was cast in the lead role, despite several top heroines vying for the part.

The screening was a star-studded affair, with Rekha, Dia Mirza, Shreya Ghoshal, Rajkumar Hirani, Vidya Balan herself and others in attendance. A heartwarming moment when Vidya touched Rekha’s feet also won hearts online.

How Vidya Balan Got the Role in Parineeta

Recalling the casting journey, Vidhu Vinod Chopra revealed how Vidya landed the role after going through several rounds of auditions.

He said at the screening,“A lot of top heroines wanted to do Parineeta. But Pradeep Sarkar said there’s a new girl from Chembur. So I said, ‘Test this girl from Chembur.’ I don’t usually meet actors during screen tests. Vidya had gone through a lot of tests. Then I told Pradeep, ‘Let’s do one final test.’ She was so exhausted by the process that she actually muttered gaalis before her final audition, I could see her saying, ‘Who does he think he is?’ By then, she had done 20–25 tests. But then she gave such a brilliant final test, it was unbelievable. I told Pradeep, call her immediately.”

Vidya’s Emotional Reaction to the Casting Call

Sharing her side of the story, Vidya revealed she was at an Enrique Iglesias concert when she got the life-changing call. She said,
“So Dada (Pradeep Sarkar) called him, and I told him, ‘Dada, I’m in the middle of the concert, I’ll call you back.’ But he said, ‘No, Mr Chopra wants to speak to you.’ So I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll call you after the concert.’ So then Mr Chopra said, ‘Teri zindagi badalne waali hai, bahar nikal (Your life is about to change, come outside).’ I was like, ‘What are you going to tell me, that I didn’t get the part again?’ I didn’t think otherwise for a second, because I had gone through so many tests. But he said, ‘Come out.’ So I came out and he told me on the phone, ‘You’re my Parineeta.’ And I started crying right there. It was a crazy moment.”

 

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