Vidya Balan's characters from Kahaani to Parineeta that prove her versatility

Bollywood actor Vidya Balan started her journey from popular television sitcom Hum Paanch and eventually made her way to the silver screens. With the filmography of more than thirty films, she has portrayed many challenging characters and showed her versatility. Many of her characters left a large impact on the audience. Here are a few of her characters that have gained appreciation from the critics as well as the audience:

Parineeta 

The debut film of Vidya was an instant hit at the box-office and garnered a positive response from the critics. The film crafts the endless wait of a woman named Parineeta for her love. The Pradeep Sarkar directorial also offers a great cinematic experience. From background score to the portrayal of Kolkata, the musical-drama manages to catch the attention of the viewers till the end. The film also stars Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt. 

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Paa 

Another outstanding performance by the 40-year-old actor has been delivered in the R. Balki directorial, Paa. Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan played the male lead of the comedy-drama. The character Dr. Vidya is a single mother who also deals with her only son Auro's acute diseases. She single-handedly raises Auro after her love-interest dumbs her. She left everyone in awe by the end of the film with her excellent performance. 

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The Dirty Picture

The Dirty Picture is one of the milestones delivered among the women-centric films. Though the Ishqiya actor faced criticism for her appearance in the film, it was critically acclaimed. The film revolves around a late south actor popularly known as Silk. The film highlights the struggles Silk goes through to establish herself in the then-male dominating film industry. The actor gained weight for the film too. 

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No One Killed Jessica

The film directed by Raj Kumar Gupta also features Rani Mukerji in the lead character. In the film based on Jessica Lal's murder case, the Bhool Bhulaiya actor essayed the character of Jessica's elder sister Sabrina. The helplessness and frustration of the character are evident on her face as the story develops after the murder scene. Be it the appearance or emotions, she pulled it off in the best possible manner.

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Kahaani Series

Though the second installment of the series was a debacle at the box-office, the series has much love from the audience. Kahaani, released in 2012, was considered as one of the best performances of Vidya Balan. Her performance kept the audience on the edge of their seat and the climax scene left them in a shock.