Vidya Balan's curves leave no meat in size zeros

The Bollywood awards season has begun and it's heart-warming to note they could help create a size shift in the consciousness of the glamour-puss.

As the ola, la star swept the hitherto-announced awards and is expected to grab the remaining; voluptuousness has left no meat in size zero.

So much for 'The Dirty Picture' and the boldness of an actress to defy norms. Remember, only those who dare to tread the less-travelled path will achieve greatness. Vidya Balan has set out alright, if she will reach 'Destination Greatness', well, let's wait and watch.

Simply because greatness is relative. Naseerudin Shah who supported her in the film wasn't present for any award function. The great actor, with no 'Bollywood type' talent, is but very happy in his space catering to niche audiences. And so are others from his arty camp.

Wonder when Bollywood will begin nurturing talent. Indie and the so-called offbeat actors and filmmakers take heart with meagre returns on the sidelines, when we have reels of newsprint and visual time, and on most occasions, 'Breaking News' of box-office stars' life and style. While snippets on Kareena's wedding to Saif Ali Khan is replayed by the hour as the news of the day, Juhi Chawla's 'I Am' doesn't get a mention even. Or if Salman Khan's yet-to-be scripted Dabbang II is analysed and reviewed each day, Abhay Deol’s forthcoming romantic flick hardly gets a mention and Anurag Kashyap has to yell to the world about his 'Ghanta'. Worse still are detailed reports of how a suspicious Gauri Khan snubbed Priyanka Chopra and (someone pls give me a break!!) Ash and her Beti B. Aamir Khan had a child at about the same time without brouhaha. Konkana Sen began her family life silently...

Glamourous actors are assets to Bollywood, talented ones seem to be liabilities! The best the latter class does is to sit on the wall and hop into the greasy world at intervals to help sell their own work later.

In such a scenario, Vidya Balan's body of work since 2009 is a refreshing change. If with 'Pa' she challenged all those 'mummy' dreading singletons, then with 'Ishqiya' she dared all sacred oomph-oozers. As a deglamourised Sabrina Lal in 'No One Killed Jessica' if she let her skills rather than her stills speak, then in 'The Dirty Picture' her shots did scream out loud and... rested 'heavily' on some shoulders?

The fact that mainstream cinema audiences have appreciated these and the box-office supported the same, indeed, signals a shift among the thinking class.

Now let’s hope it triggers a shift in the consciousness of Bollywood stars, who pass off under style quotients, waist sizes, family brands, business connections, et al, and they begin to look within.