Vidya Balan is celebrating the success of her latest release, the Anees Bazmee-directed Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. The actress, who reprised her iconic role as Manjulika after 17 years, shares her thoughts on the film's success, her fear of sharing the dance floor with Madhuri Dixit, and her aspirations to make "female-led films" more mainstream.

Ask Vidya how she is feeling after the success of the film and she says, “Better than I could have imagined and honestly I had not imagined this. I never imagined that after 17 years I would do a Bhool Bhulaiyaa again and bring back to life Manjulika. I had not imagined that I would get so much love for it. I am very happy, I am so happy that the film is doing so well.”

The success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 marks a triumphant return for Vidya Balan, especially after a somewhat patchy phase at the box office in recent years. Although her performances were widely praised, the films she released post-pandemic either bypassed theatres or struggled to make a lasting impact. The enduring popularity of BB3 represents a welcome reversal of fortunes for the actress, and she is clearly relishing this long-awaited success.

Vidya has another reason to celebrate: not only did she get to reprise her iconic role as Manjulika, but she also had the rare opportunity to share the dance floor with the legendary Madhuri Dixit, a performer renowned for her grace and skill.

On this, she says, “I don’t even see myself as a dancer. But as an actor if you require me to dance then I’ll work towards it. And of course, if you have to dance with Madhuri Dixit then you work even harder and I did because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Look at it this way, people who have danced with her before are all dancers — Aishwarya Rai and Karisma Kapoor. So I was like if I am getting this opportunity then I’ll have to work doubly hard. I said, ‘let’s just have fun and enjoy it because there is no point stressing because there is no question of matching up to her but I did my bit.”

Aside from her recent success, Vidya has been an ardent advocate for female-led films. She has often spoken about her desire to make such films mainstream and push for more stories centered around women in Indian cinema. With her recent success, Vidya is in a strong position to continue championing this cause, and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is a testament to her enduring appeal and talent.

As Vidya basks in the success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, she continues to break barriers and inspire others, not only with her acting skills but with her dedication to changing the landscape of Indian cinema.