Vidya Balan will soon be seen in Shakuntala Devi.
In our series Streaming Guide, we list the works of a filmmaker or actor which are available on streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar, Eros Now and YouTube among more.
This edition features actor Vidya Balan who has films like Kahaani, Tumhari Sulu, Ishqiya, The Dirty Picture and Mission Mangal among more to her credit.
Parineeta
Streaming on: Netflix
Director: Pradeep Sarkar
Parineeta, a screen adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Bengali novel of the same name, had Saif Ali Khan, Vidya Balan, Sanjay Dutt in the lead roles. Pradeep Sarkar won the National Award for Best Debut Film of a Director.
Lage Raho Munna Bhai
Streaming on: Netflix
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
A poster of the movie Lage Raho Munna Bhai.
After giving the audience a ‘Jaadu Ki Jhappi’ in Munna Bhai MBBS, Rajkumar Hirani gave them ‘Gandhigiri’ in Lage Raho Munna Bhai. The ‘taporis’, Sanjay Dutt as Munna and Arshad Warsi as Circuit, resorted to non-violent ways of dealing with their enemies after learning a few principles of Mahatma Gandhi. And through them, the audience got to learn the ways of Gandhiji while enjoying some innocent laughs. Munna’s love story with Jhanvi (Vidya Balan) also brought a smile on the face of viewers. Balan’s, “Good morniiiinngg Mumbaaii” did not just mesmerize Sanjay Dutt’s Munna but many fell in love with her sweet and pleasant voice.
Guru
Streaming on: Netflix
Director: Mani Ratnam
Directed by Mani Ratnam, Guru starred Abhishek Bachchan as Gurukant Desai, an aspiring businessman keen on not working for white men, and making it big in the textiles business. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan played his devoted wife Sujata who stands with him when the world turns its back on him. The film also starred R Madhavan, Vidya Balan and Mithun Chakraborty in pivotal roles.
Heyy Babyy
Streaming on: ZEE5, Eros Now
Director: Sajid Khan
The life of three young bachelors, played by Akshay Kumar, Fardeen Khan and Riteish Deshmukh, take a dramatic turn when they find a baby at their doorstep one morning. One of them is the father of the child. After almost killing the baby, when they start loving the baby, the mother of the child (Vidya Balan) takes her away. Now, the three bachelors are determined to get the baby back. The film is a nonsensical comedy with a lot of toilet humour.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Streaming on: Netflix
Director: Priyadarshan
Vidya Balan in Bhool Bhulaiya. (Express archive photo)
The 2007 horror-comedy Bhool Bhulaiyaa had Vidya Balan at her best. She played an NRI who gets possessed by a spirit in her husband’s ancestral house. Her performance as Monjolika sent shivers downs the spine and Akshay Kumar, who played a psychiatrist in the movie, was also loved by the audience. The film also starred Shiney Ahuja, Ameesha Patel, Paresh Rawal, Manoj Joshi, Asrani, Rajpal Yadav and Vikram Gokhale. It was an official remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu, which had Mohanlal and Shobana in the lead roles.
Kismat Konnection
Streaming on: YouTube, Netflix
Director: Aziz Mirza
Shahid Kapoor and Vidya Balan in film Kismat Konnection. (Express archive photo)
Kismat Konnection is a simple story of two people – an out of work, but talented architect (Shahid Kapoor), and a young girl (Vidya Balan) whose only purpose in life is to save an old age home from being demolished. Both of their ‘kismat’ (destiny) connects when their paths cross. They fall in love, fall apart and meet again. For those who like watching sugar-coated romantic dramas might like the film, otherwise, it is a snoozefest.
Paa
Streaming on: YouTube
Director: R. Balki
Abhishek Bachchan and Vidya Balan in film Paa. (Express archive photo)
Vidya Balan came across as a strong performer as she essayed the role of a mother of a 13-year-old boy who suffers from progeria, which makes him age fast. Amitabh Bachchan played her son Auro. The film is a tender take on the parent-child relationship.
Ishqiya
Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Vidya Balan played a scheming seductress in black-comedy Ishqiya. The story is about two runaway goons, Khalujaan (Naseeruddin Shah) and Babban (Arshad Warsi) who take shelter at a deceased friend’s house run by his wife Krishna (Balan). Soon the two become pawns of Krishna, who wants to avenge her gangster husband’s death. Watch the film for its intriguing narrative, well-written dialogues and brilliant performances.
No One Killed Jessica
Streaming on: Netflix
Director: Raj Kumar Gupta
Vidya Balan in film No One Killed Jessica. (Express Archive photo)
The biographical thriller is based on the murder of Delhi based model and restaurant worker, Jessica Lal, who was shot dead at a restaurant by Siddharth Vashisht aka Manu Sharma when she refused to serve liquor to him. In the movie, Vidya plays Jessica’s sister Sabrina who struggles hard to get justice for her sister.
The Dirty Picture
Streaming on: YouTube
Director: Milan Luthria
Vidya Balan in Dirty Picture. (Express archive photo)
With The Dirty Picture, Vidya Balan broke the stereotype around a conventional Bollywood actress. Vidya’s uninhibited portrayal as adult star Silk Smitha won her a lot of praise and a National Award. The film also starred Tusshar Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah and Emraan Hashmi.
Kahaani
Streaming on: Netflix
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Vidya Balan in Kahaani.
This one is sure to give you an adrenaline rush. Kahaani is one of Bollywood’s finest thrillers with nail-biting suspense that ends with an unexpected climax.
Hamari Adhuri Kahani
Streaming on: YouTube
Director: Mohit Suri
Written by Mahesh Bhatt, Hamari Adhuri Kahani is the story of a single mother, Vasudha, whose husband Hari (Rajkummar Rao) abandons her and their son. One day a business tycoon, Aarav Ruparel (Emraan Hashmi) enters her life as her boss. He falls in love with her, and after dismissing his love as lust, she eventually falls in love with him. But their story is left ‘adhuri’ as Hari comes back into Vasudha’s life. The film is packed with a lot of melodrama and can be skipped.
Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh
Streaming on: Eros Now, ZEE5
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Vidya Balan in Kahaani 2 poster.
The Indian Express’ Shubhra Gupta, in her review of the film, wrote, “Despite a taut first half and a well-rounded performance by Vidya Balan, the film fails the audience when it does away with subtlety and starts telegraphing its punches. After Kahaani, which took us into a fresh space, this one disappoints.”
Tumhari Sulu
Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Suresh Triveni
Vidya Balan played the role of a vibrant, optimistic and full of life housewife Sulu whose life changes unexpectedly when she lands a job at a radio station for a night show. RJ Malishka, Neha Dhupia and Manav Kaul played pivotal roles in the movie. The movie is a feel-good watch.
Mission Mangal
Streaming on: Disney Plus Hotstar
Director: Jagan Shakti
Vidya Balan in Jagan Shakti’s Mission Mangal.
Filmmaker Jagan Shakti, along with actors Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Taapsee Pannu and others, simplified the technicalities of Indian Space Research Organisation’s Mars Orbiter Mission and showcased how Indian scientists successfully launched Mangalyaan in Mars’ orbit in the first attempt itself. It also highlighted the contribution of women scientists in the mission.