How Vidya transformed herself to fierce 'Begum Jaan'

Friday 17th March 2017 08:34 EDT
 
 

Acclaimed Bengali filmmaker Srijit Mukherji has revealed how Vidya Balan transformed from her jovial self, to the fiery Begum, we saw in the upcoming 'Begum Jaan' trailer. "Before we started shooting 'Begum Jaan' we organised two workshops simultaneously. One with Vidya, another with girls... because Vidya is a jovial, down-to-earth person, and she easily mingles with everybody on set and I didn't want that. I wanted certain kind of distance with the girls from Vidya," he said at the trailer launch event.

"Vidya used to ask many questions during the workshop like what the memories of 'Begum Jaan' were when she was three, when she was first exploited or what happened when she got married. So at the end of the workshop, I had already completed writing four scripts... one 'Begum Jaan' and others are the prequels and sequels. I had to keep ready all the backstories of 'Begum Jaan' and the girls."

Mukherji added, "After the workshop, when Vidya entered the set, I saw Begum Jaan, who is a fierce, manipulative, no-nonsense kind of woman, walking in. There was no trace of Vidya Balan." 'Begum Jaan' is a Hindi adaptation of a Bengali film 'Rajkahini', which saw Rituparna Sengupta in the lead. It also marks the National Award-winning filmmaker's entry into the Bollywood film industry. The film revolves around the trauma faced by displaced women in a brothel during India's partition. While the original was based in Bengal, 'Begum Jaan' is based out of Punjab. Produced by Mukesh Bhatt, the film is scheduled for release on April 14.


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