Vidya, you have worked with Sujoy (Ghosh; director), but Arjun was new to the unit. How was it working together?
Vidya: Arjun has known Sujoy longer than I have. They have an equation. Sujoy and I were the only imports from Kahaani, so it wasn’t totally unfamiliar. Arjun and I had met socially, but we didn’t know each other. But on the first day of the shoot, he gave me a warm hug when he met me, and that broke the ice. We had a sense of comfort from the word go.
Vidya, people say that you have slowed down in terms of work and what you are doing. Does that bother you?
Vidya: Not at all. I did take a six- to eight-month break last year. I had time to make some serious lifestyle changes, mainly with regard to sleep, and I worked on that. There was a time when I used to sleep at 3 or 4 in the morning. Now I can actually sleep by 10.30-11pm, and that’s a huge change. This year, I have already done two films — Kahaani 2 and Begum Jaan.I will start working on the third film next month. So, I’m surprised that people think I have slowed down, as it’s the opposite now.Celebrities are under constant scrutiny from the media, and now, with the popularity of social media, that has increased. Do you think actors have to be thick-skinned?
Vidya: I think, to each his own. I am a reluctant tweeter, as I don’t have much to say. I don’t have opinions on things that don’t concern me. I don’t read what is written [about me], which is my defense mechanism. A few years ago, I was thick-skinned. Not now.How important are box-office numbers to an actor?
Vidya: I think after Kahaani (2012), it (success) has become about numbers. Now, people are telling me you are the female hero. I don’t understand that. Let me do what I enjoy doing, which is acting, so I stick to that. I promote the film but after the release, I switch off mentally.