Vidya Balan is an Indian actress and film producer who predominantly appears in Bollywood films. She is best known for starring in movies like Paa, Ishqiya, No One Killed Jessica, The Dirty Picture, and Tumhari Sulu.
In an acting career spanning more than three decades, she has received several awards, including a National Film Award, seven Filmfare Awards, and six Screen Awards. She’s one of the highest-paid actresses in the industry, and, over the years, she has earned her the moniker “female hero” of Bollywood for leading films without relying on male co-stars.. She is the recipient of Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award of the Government of India. Her film credits include Neeyat, Jalsa, Sherni, Shakuntala Devi, Mission Mangal, NTR: Mahanayakudu, Tumhari Sulu, Mission Mangal, Shakuntala Devi, Sherni, Jalsa, and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. So, who is Vidya Balan? Here’s everything we know about the Bollywood actress.
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Vidya Balan Biography
Vidya Balan was born on the 1st of January 1979, in Chembur, Mumbai, India. She is currently 46 years old.
| Birth Name | Vidya Balan |
| Nickname | Vidhi, V |
| Date of Birth | January 1, 1979 |
| Place of Birth | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Age | 46 years old |
| Sun Sign | Capricorn |
| Profession | Actress |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Ethnicity | Tamilian |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse | Siddharth Roy Kapoor |
| Children | 0 |
| Residence | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
Early Life: Family and Education
Vidya was born into a Tamil-speaking Iyengar Brahmin family to Saraswathy Balan and P. R. Balan. Her father was the executive vice president of Digicable, while her mother is a homemaker. She has an older sister named Priya Balan, who works in advertising. In case you don’t know, the actress Priyamani is her second cousin.
Vidya Balan attended St. Anthony Girls’ High School in Chembur, Mumbai. She pursued a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, followed by a master’s degree in Sociology from the University of Mumbai. She is trained in Bharatanatyam dance and participated in theater through her school and college years.
Vidya Balan Personal Life
In early 2012, Vidya Balan confirmed to the media that she had been dating Siddharth Roy Kapoor, CEO of UTV Motion Pictures, for a while. Following her romance became public, the couple married on December 14, 2012, in a private wedding affair in Bandra, Mumbai, which was only attended by the couple’s family and friends.
Physical Statistics
| Height | Feet – 5 feet 3 inches Centimeters – 160 cm Meters – 1.6 m |
| Weight | Kilograms – 62 kg Pounds – 136 lbs |
| Body Build | Average |
| Body Measurements | 36-28-37 |
| Body Shape | Hourglass |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Shoe Size | 7.5 (US) |
| Dress Size | 10 (US) |
Career Overview
Vidya Balan’s career spans over two decades, from television to award-winning films and production. She debuted on TV with Hum Paanch (1995) as Radhika, followed by ads and music videos. She later acted in Bengali and Malayalam films before stepping into Bollywood.
Her Bollywood breakthrough came with Parineeta in 2005. Her portrayal of Lalita, opposite Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt, earned her widespread acclaim. She won her first Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.
She continued her success streak with Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006) opposite Sanjay Dutt, Guru (2007), where she played the wife of Abhishek Bachchan’s character, and played a single mother in R. Balki’s comedy-drama film Paa in 2009.
Her career-defining performance as Reshma (Silk) in The Dirty Picture (2011) won her widespread acclaim. The film is based on the life of Silk Smitha, a South Indian actress noted for her erotic roles. Vidya completely transformed herself for the role, delivering a fearless, unapologetic performance. She won the National Film Award for Best Actress.
After Kahaani (2012), she faced some setbacks and bounced back with hits like Hamari Adhuri Kahani (2015), Kahaani 2 (2016), and Tumhari Sulu (2017). In 2019, she starred as one of the lead scientists, alongside Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha, Taapsee Pannu, and Nithya Menen in Mission Mangal, which is based on India’s Mars Orbiter Mission.
Vidya was cast to play the titular character in the biographical drama film Shakuntala Devi (2020), based on the life of mathematical prodigy Shakuntala Devi, who is referred to as a human computer. Her recent hits include Sherni (2021), Jalsa (2022), Neeyat (2023), and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (2024).
Brand Endorsements
Vidya has endorsed Samajwadi Pension Yojana (launched by Akhilesh Yadav-led Uttar Pradesh Government), Nihar Hair Oils, Indian Film Festival, Silk Board, etc.
She was featured in several television commercials and print ads.
Vidya Balan Net Worth
She has an estimated net worth of $15 million as of 2025. She is considered one of the most popular and influential celebrities in B-town. One of the richest celebrities in the entertainment industry, Vidya Balan’s earnings come from acting, television appearances, and endorsement deals.
Vidya Balam lived in a modest home in Chembur with her family until her marriage. In 2010, she bought a plush four-bedroom home in the suburb of Khar, Mumbai. She was then gifted with a luxury home worth Rs 14 crore by her husband as their wedding gift.
The gorgeous lady owns one of the finest luxury sedans on the market, a black Mercedes E-Class, which was gifted to her by her father.
Favorite Things
- Food – Thai food
- Actor – Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Morgan Freeman, Al Pacino
- Actress – Kate Winslet, Julie Delpy, Julia Roberts, Madhuri Dixit
- Movies – Gol Maal (1979), Before Sunrise, Before Sunset
- Director – Gulzar and Hrishikesh Mukherjee
- Book – Brida by Paulo Coelho
- Musicians – Zakir Hussain, Michael Jackson, Enrique, Indian Ocean, Midival Punditz
- Color – Red
- Perfume – Issey Miyake
- Holiday Destination – New York, New Zealand
Interesting Facts
Vidya Balan was awarded the National Film Award for Best Actress for The Dirty Picture (2011) and has won seven Filmfare Awards.
Besides acting in film, Vidya promotes humanitarian causes and supports charitable institutions.
In March 2011, she endorsed the World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour campaign in India.
She has graced the covers of famous magazines and writes columns occasionally for leading publications in the country.
She topped Rediff’s annual listing of “Bollywood’s Best Actress” for two straight years in 2011 and 2012.
Vidya Balan is the youngest person to receive “The Prabha Khaitan Puraskar” for her efforts toward women’s empowerment by the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce in 2012.
She was included in Forbes’ Celebrity 100 in 2012 and 2013.
In 2014, she was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award in India, for her contributions to the entertainment industry.
In 2014, she received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Rai University; the university also named a scholarship program for underprivileged girls after her name.
In August 2017, Vidya was appointed a member of the Indian Central Board of Film Certification, responsible for certifying films for theatrical exhibition.
Vidya Balan is multilingual and can speak English, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, and Bengali.
South Indian actress Priyamani is her second cousin’s sister.
She is a critic’s delight, often criticized for her choice of attire due to her weight.
In 2022, she won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for her performance as Vidya Vincent, an Indian Forest Service officer, in Shemi. The film was released on Amazon Prime on June 18, 2021.
She was most recently seen in the movie Neeyat, where she portrayed Mira Rao alongside Ram Kapoor, Rahul Bose, Dipannita Sharma, Shashank Arora, and Shahana Goswami. She is set to play the lead role in the Hindi-language romantic comedy film Do Aur Do Pyaar.
Vidya co-starred alongside Kartik Aaryan, Madhuri Dixit, and Triptii Dimri in the third installment of Bhool Bhulaiyaa. It was released on 1 November 2024 and became the fifth-highest-grossing Indian film of the year.