Page "Vidya Balan" Paragraph 19

December 2011 saw the release of Ekta Kapoor's The Dirty Picture, a biopic based on the life and death of the controversial Indian actress Silk Smitha.

Balan was cast as Silk, who was — in Balan's words —" known for her brazenness and in-your-face sexuality.

" She described the role as the " boldest " she had ever played, one that " required a lot of mental preparation ," and in order to look the part, she gained 12 kg.

The film opened to major critical acclaim, and Balan received unanimous praise for her portrayal, which several reviewers regarded as her best performance to date.

Khalid Mohamed observed, " She ’ s extraordinary: gutsy, consistently in character and unafraid of exposing her darker side.

Here ’ s the kind of complex performance which you haven ’ t evidenced in years and years.

This award-winning act bookended by her contrasting portrayal in No One Killed Jessica, reaffirms her as the finest artiste on the scene today.

" Her director Milan Luthria described her as the contemporary claimant of the " sex-symbol " title, and compared her " voluptuousness " to the likes of yesteryear actresses Sridevi and Vyjayanthimala.

The film was eventually declared a blockbuster with a total gross of, emerging as the biggest opening ever for a women-oriented film in the history of Indian Cinema.

Balan won her first National Film Award for Best Actress, a second Filmfare Award for Best Actress and a third consecutive Screen Award for Best Actress that year along with several other awards in the same category for her performance in the film.