Vidya Balan on the after effects of COVID-19: 'Studios feel it would be safer to bet on the historically male-led films'

Hindustan Times

22-05-2025

Vidya Balan, who is known for acing women-centric films, feels that post-pandemic, the studios are feeling the pinch financially and hence are going back to the safer bet of choosing male-led films.
(Also read: Vidya Balan calls out AI-generated content featuring her: 'It does not reflect my views or work')
In a recent interview with Deadline, Vidya opened up about her illustrious career and making a niche for herself by choosing films which have strong and layered female characters. However, when the actor was starting her acting journey, she didn't have the luxury of choice as such characters were simply not being written.
'There was no question of strategising (to play strong characters) because one had never really seen women take centre stage in mainstream films. The few films that I enjoyed where women were leading the story were in art house cinema. The only film I can think of which was commercially viable and led by a woman was Chaalbaaz," said Vidya.
But then came her debut film Parineeta in 2005, which was an author-backed role based on a novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. While discussing her filmography, the actor talked about films like Paa, where she played a single mother to a 12-year-old son with a rare genetic condition called Progeria; getting into the skin of the titular role in Shakuntala Devi-- also known as a human computer. And the ambitious housewife who becomes a radio jockey for a late-night relationship advice show in Tumhari Sulu.
However, the actor feels that after COVID-19, audiences stopped going to theaters, making it difficult for studios to invest in women-centric films.
'Post-pandemic, people in India have lost the habit of going to the theatres to watch films. The studios feel it would be safer to bet on the historically male-led films. In my opinion, this calls for a reinvention in the female-led film space,' Vidya said.