Vidya Balan ;born 1 January 1978) is
an Indian actress. She has established a successful career in Bollywood
and is the recipient of several awards, including a National Film Award,
five Filmfare Awards, and five Screen Awards, and was awarded the Padma
Shri by the Government of India in 2014. She is known for portraying
strong female protagonists and has been acknowledged in the media for
pioneering a change in the concept of a Hindi film heroine.Vidya aspired
to a career in film from a young age, and had her first acting role in
the 1995 sitcom Hum Paanch. She pursued a master's degree in sociology
from the University of Mumbai and simultaneously made several
unsuccessful attempts to start a career in film. She subsequently
featured in various television commercials and music videos, and in 2003
made her feature film debut as the protagonist of the independent
Bengali drama Bhalo Theko. In 2005 Vidya garnered praise for her first
Hindi film, the drama Parineeta, and followed it with a leading role in
the highly successful 2006 comedy film