Jalsa trailer out; Vidya Balan says she was sceptical of playing grey character

At the trailer release of Jalsa, Vidya Balan said that she initially declined to feature in the film as the role required her to delve into the grey aspects of her personality. Balan, who plays a journalist named Maya in the film, said she hasn't attempted a character like that in her career.

Mumbai (Maharashtra):At the trailer launch of Jalsa, actor Vidya Balan on Wednesday said she initially declined to feature in the film as the role required her to delve into the grey aspects of her personality. Balan, who leads the cast of the Amazon original film along with Shefali Shah, said she changed her mind about the project after the coronavirus pandemic broke out.

The film is directed by Suresh Triveni, who had helmed the 2017 Balan-starrer Tumhari Sulu. "It has shades of grey which is why when Suresh narrated the script to me, I had loved it, but said I can't do it. I didn't have the guts. Then the pandemic happened and something changed all of us in deep ways that we don't even understand."

"Then one day when Suresh told me over a general chat that he reworked the script, I said I'd like to hear it again. I knew I wanted to do it, but didn't tell him. I just wanted to read and be sure. I read and I was like, 'I am on'," the 43-year-old actor told reporters here.

She was speaking at the trailer launch event of Jalsa, which will debut on Prime Video on March 18. Balan, who plays a journalist named Maya in the film, said she hasn't attempted a character like that in her career. "I've had the good fortune to play (some) beautiful characters throughout my career but this is the first time I got to delve into the grey. I was willing to embrace the grey in me, which is why I could do this. (And) Who better to do it with than Suresh, who I trust completely," she added.

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Jalsa marks Balan's third project with Prime Video after 2020's Shakuntala Devi and 2021's Sherni. Shah plays Rukshana, Maya's househelp whose life changes after an incident, said she agreed to be a part of the film after she read a working draft of the project.

"I could see so much potential, it was just beautiful. There are so many nuances, layers. Rukshana isn't someone trying to make ends meet. She's aspirational and has a strong point of view. Rukshana and Maya aren't exactly in sync, there is a divide between them, and I don't mean their class. I'm talking about just the way their stories pan out. To perform alongside Vidya made me richer as an actor," Shah, who recently starred in Disney+ Hotstar series Human, said.

Director Triveni said both Shah and Balan are inquisitive actors who would often bombard him with questions on the film set. "They both were an absolute pleasure to work with. They were completely involved in the process, that was the similarity between them," he added.

Produced by T-Series and Abundantia Entertainment, Jalsa also stars Rohini Hattangady, Iqbal Khan, Manav Kaul, Vidhatri Bandi, Srikant Mohan, Shafeen Patel and Surya Kasibhatla.

(With agency inputs)