Vidya Balan opens up about being labeled 'panauti' after her Malayalam film was shelved: 'You begin to believe it, insecurities creep in'

Vidya Balan is riding high on the success of her latest release Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, where she stars alongside Kartik Aaryan and Madhuri Dixit. In the film, Vidya reprises her iconic role as Manjulika, a character that has left an indelible mark since the original Bhool Bhulaiyaa in 2007. Reflecting on her journey, Vidya recently opened up about the tough initial years in her career and the harsh rejections she faced.

Vidya recalled being labeled “panauti” (unlucky) after a Malayalam film she was cast in was shelved. “I started shooting for a Malayalam film, which had stopped in the middle, and then they said, ‘Nahi, nahi, yeh ladki panauti hai. Jab se woh iss film se judd gayi hai, problems shuru ho gaye hai and ab yeh film band padd gayi hai,’” she shared in an interview with Instant Bollywood.

She further revealed that this label followed her to other projects, leading to her removal from several films. "You begin to believe that maybe I am a ‘panauti.’ Insecurities creep in, and it feels like my dream might never come true. That was probably the toughest phase for me,” Vidya admitted.

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Meanwhile, Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, both Diwali releases, have dominated the box office, collectively earning over Rs 100 crore in their opening weekend across 6,000 screens. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, directed by Anees Bazmee, sees Kartik Aaryan return as Rooh Baba, joined by Vidya, Madhuri Dixit, and Triptii Dimri.

In Singham Again, the third installment of Rohit Shetty’s action franchise, an ensemble cast featuring Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Tiger Shroff, and Arjun Kapoor brings the excitement, contributing to the weekend’s blockbuster success.