18 August,2018 08:17 AM IST | Mumbai | Sonil Dedhia
Vidya Balan
Even though she's set to be part of a biopic, Vidya Balan enjoys sufficient creative leeway when enacting the character of NT Rama Rao's wife in a film based on him. Basavatarakam Nandamuri, she argues, enjoyed a life away from the public domain, leaving little material for her to binge on to ape her, for Krish's directorial venture.
"She was an extremely private person. So, initially, I only had the script for reference. Yet, I wanted to get an idea of the person I was set to portray," Balan tells mid-day, adding that she decided to interact with those who knew her muse.
NT Rama Rao and Basavatarakam Nandamuri
While Balan had her co-star - the film's leading man, also NTR's son - Nandamuri Balakrishna to turn to, she also interacted with the actor-politician's other children. "I met his daughter, Lokeshwari, who narrated many stories [of Basavatarakam]. I also spoke to her brother who currently resides in Chennai. It was via these conversations that I got a sense of who she was. I used the inputs that I got from them, but I am approaching the character with little information and more imagination."
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Balan, who wrapped the first schedule of the Telugu-Hindi film last month, says that grabbing an opportunity to work in another industry was intriguing. "I shot for five days, but it was a nice experience. The team is professional. We would commence the day at 9 am, and finish at 6 pm sharp. That's a unique experience. It amazes me that, within India itself, there are so many independent film industries. I have never done a full-fledged role in another language, so I was excited for this one. The Telugu film industry needs no one. Their films are blockbusters, and they have a loyal audience."
While the promising script instantly gripped her attention, Balan was also persuaded by the idea of working on a film based on NTR, a person, she knows, has been revered. "He is someone who has been loved and respected."
Also Read: It's official! Rakul Preet Singh roped in to play Sridevi in NT Rama Rao biopic
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