Kahaani to The Dirty Picture, top Vidya Balan performances

1/8: Parineeta: What stood out about Vidya Balan in Parineeta was her old-world charm, which was lacking in contemporary cinema. No wonder everyone was instantly floored by her in the debut./ Image: IMDb

2/8: Ishqiya: Vidya Balan stole the show here in an author-backed role, capturing all the shades of femme fatale without ever relying on excesses. / Image: IMDb

3/8: Paa: Another facet that always helped Vidya Balan stand apart is her fearless abandon to play roles of all age categories. In Paa, Balan played a single mother bringing amazing poignance to her part./ Image: IMDb

4/8: Kahaani: This Sujoy Ghosh thriller was a game-changer for everyone involved. But mostly importantly, Balan proved that she could carry a film entirely on her own, also providing her stardom. / Image: IMDb

5/8: Tumhari Sulu: It's very difficult to imagine anyone else carrying a character like Sulu with as much charm and ease as Vidya Balan did here./ Image: IMDb

6/8: The Dirty Picture: Balan took everyone by surprise by her feisty, vigurous turn-up as a sex symbol who takes every brickbat in her stride, and yet ends up living a tragic fated life. / Image: IMDb

7/8: Sherni: Even though it's an author backed role, Sherni required Vidya Balan to keep it very understated and low-key, and Balan understood the assignment perfectly. / Image: IMDb

8/8: No One Killed Jessica: Sabrina Lal was a character that largely suffered in silence, which made it all the more challenging for any performer to capture the pain. And yet, Balan achieved it with ease./ Image: IMDb