I am dying to be romanced by Shah Rukh Khan: Vidya Balan

What about the media reports floating around about you and Rani not sharing good feelings and having differences?
All these reports are absolute rubbish! I am tired of answering to people that Rani Mukerji and I have no differences. I have always maintained good relationship with her; I don’t know why media has been writing such things about us. Rani and I are not friends – because there are many things you need to do as a friend. We don’t even claim to be friends. But this doesn’t mean that we share cold vibes. We have a great equation. We both worked really hard to get things right on the sets of ‘No One Killed Jessica’. It would be stupid of me to compete with an actress of Rani Mukerji’s caliber. There’s nothing wrong between us.

What was the experience working with Rani Mukerji? How is she as a co-star?
I have always been very fond of Rani Mukerji and her movies. She is a fantastic person and a great actor. We worked really hard for this movie. And I am sure it will pay.

You got rave reviews for your last outings in ‘Ishqiya’ and ‘Paa’. But in spite of that, you have been keeping a rather low profile? Is it intentional?
No, it’s not intentional. Work has kept me terribly busy in the past six months. I have been busy with Sujoy Ghosh’s ‘Kahaani’, and also shot a song with Santosh Sivan for ‘Urumi’, which also has Tabu and Prabhudeva. While shooting for Sujoy’s film, even if I got half an hour, I used to rush to dub for ‘No One Killed Jessica’. I suffered a shoulder injury in between, which kept me at home for about a month. My absence from limelight is not deliberate; it’s just that I have been busy. I crave for an 8-hour sleep, which I have lost in the last six months. 

What was the experience working with Tabu and Prabhudeva in ‘Urumi’? Are you open to do item-numbers?
Tabu has a separate song in the movie. I was shy to dance in front of a master such as Prabhudeva. He is a breathtaking performer! I am open to do item-numbers, but I won’t call them item-songs. I would prefer to call them ‘special appearance songs’.

 Do you feel any pressure to perform at the same levels?
The pressure is constant. But I enjoy every bit of it. A few days ago, someone was asking me how I manage to don skins of various characters on-screen correctly. Truly, this is what I enjoy the most. I love challenges being thrown at me. After playing a simple-looking girl in ‘No One Killed Jessica’, I’ll be gearing up to play a completely glamourous role of Tamil actress Silk Smitha.

Did you follow the case of Jessica Lal? What's your vision on it?
I remember I was in college when I came to know about it. We even signed a campaign regarding it. I was shocked to read that how can a man shoot someone just over a drink!

What research you did before the movie went on floors?
The director of the movie, Raj Kumar Gupta and I went across every bit of information and videos relating to it. I was glad to see that the media took an active part to bring justice to the Lal family. I came to know a lot about the matter through the internet and newspapers.

Did you meet Sabrina Lal while filming?
No, I didn’t meet Sabrina while filming because Raj Kumar didn’t want me to draw any kind of inspiration or adapt any style from her. Today’s Sabrina is completely different from what she was 11 years ago. Today, she is calm and strongly poised. This wouldn’t have helped me to play the Sabrina of the earlier time. She stood daringly throughout the case and finally won it. Raj and I decided to portray the Sabrina from our interpretation and imagination.

Is the movie entirely based on reality?
No, it has some fiction and dramatization.

What were the challenges while playing Sabrina onscreen?
I had to look very simple and sober. There’s nothing glamorous attached with the role in the film. The point was to look vulnerable and very real. I wore clothes which are out of fashion now. My look has been designed by Sabyasachi. Also, I have spoken very less in the film.

What is Lal family’s take on the movie?
Sabrina Lal is endorsing the film.

What is the progress on the biopic movie on Silk Smitha?
I will start working on ‘A Dirty Picture’ after the release of ‘No One Killed Jessica’. For this role, a lot will depend on the director’s and my interpretation of Silk Smitha. There is not much evidence available on her apart from her movies and videos. A lot will depend on that. I have seen only one movie of Silk Smitha -‘Sadmaa’, and a little bit on TV.

What kind of roles would you like to do?
I am dying to be romanced by Shah Rukh Khan! Now, I want to do comedy and romantic films.