Vidya Balan on 'Jalsa': I didn't have an opportunity or the guts to play a grey character before this

Vidya Balan in 'Jalsa', streaming on Amazon Prime Video from March 18, 2022. (Image: Screen grab)

Five years ago, filmmaker Suresh Triveni put a housewife behind a mike and made her a popular radio jockey. Vidya Balan was everywoman in Tumhari Sulu. The actor and director reunite for Jalsa, a drama-thriller that asks uncomfortable questions. Once again Balan goes behind a mike, this time as a television news anchor and reporter. As seen in the trailer, a hit and run accident sets off a chain of events.

By her own admission, this is the first movie in which the National Award winning actress, best known for her roles in The Dirty Picture, Kahaani, and Shakuntala Devi has explored the greyer shades of a person.

Last seen as an upright forest officer in Sherni, Balan said she changed her mind about Jalsa after the pandemic. The film also features Shefali Shah as a cook, Rohini Hattangadi and Iqbal Khan.

Excerpts from an interview with Balan:

Tell us about the themes in 'Jalsa’.

The story evolves out of the fallout or as a by-product of one incident that destabilises and challenges the lives of so many people at the same time. It's a web of secrets, lies and truths. The theme is what if this were you? That’s what drew me to the film. You feel that question with every character – not just Maya Menon. What would any of them have done if they were in this situation? The theme is pretty simple, but it is also very complex. There are no straight answers.

What was it about 'Jalsa' that drew you to the material?

I enjoyed Sulu. With that film, Suresh Triveni pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me do comedy, which I had never done before. I loved his process and was curious to see what he would do next. I was thrilled that he came to me with his next feature, and the fact that Tumhari Sulu and Jalsa are poles apart was very exciting.

Suresh came to me with the script before the pandemic. I loved it, but I said no. Then, through the pandemic, something changed. We were speaking one day and he said he had made changes to the draft of Jalsa. I asked to read it again, and this time I was willing to delve in the grey spaces. The pandemic made us view life and the world anew. Before this, neither have I had the opportunity or the guts to play a grey character. Suresh asked me what changed and I said it was a well-written script even before, but now something had changed within me.

Jalsa marks a departure and I hope it opens up opportunities to do more characters that explore human frailty, vulnerability and fragility.

Is Maya Menon, the news anchor, modelled on a real life person?

I actually only watch the news to keep abreast of what is going on in the world. There are people you have watched over the years, people with a great amount of credibility who are dependable for a neutral point of view. There are people who will hold others responsible. But no, there was no one journalist that I thought of while playing this. I didn’t even actively think of them, because the media is part of our subconscious. Maya is more an amalgam. This film made me realise that you don’t know how you will react till you are in that particular situation, being that particular person. This was very fascinating to delve into.

Throughout my career I have played characters whose motivations have been very clear. They have all been courageous people, or different inflexions of courage. Maya is a courageous woman, until she isn't.

Is there a part of Maya in you or a part of you in Maya?

Once you realise this could happen to me, or to anyone, god forbid, then you wonder how you might behave in that situation. Once I developed that empathy, I could do the film.

Yes, there is a part of me in Maya and some of Maya in me. Some things you identify with instantly and other things you understand over a period of time. As you play the role and live the role, you realise that the experience of two people may be the same even though the situation may not be identical. Personality wise we are quite different, but in the way she reacts to situations I was like oh my god.

We don't realise that anger is a derivative of fear. This accident changes a lot for every character in the film. Each one's morals, ethics and principles are put to the test. For me this felt even bigger as Maya is a journalist who has always enjoyed putting people on the stand. She sees herself as virtuous, self-righteous, and when that self-image is threatened, then what happens?

What was it like working with Shefali Shah?

It was wonderful. Though we don’t have too many scenes together, unfortunately, the idea of working with her was very exciting and the experience was very easy. She is a wonderful actor, needless to say. We had a couple of delicate scenes and the tension in the air was conducive to the scene. There was no other tension. We were just reacting to each other.

What else have you got coming up?

I have just completed a film directed by filmmaker Shirsha Guha Thakurta. It's a relationship story co-starring Sendhil Ramamurthy, Pratik Gandhi and Ileana D’Cruz. I am about to start Anu Menon’s next. It's a thriller which is my favourite genre. I am yet to decide what to do after that.

Jalsa will be available on Amazon Prime Video from March 18, 2022.