Vidya Balan is an Indian actress. She has established a successful career in
Hindi cinema 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. Her notable films include the drama
Paa (2009), the
black comedy
Ishqiya (2010), the semi-biographical thriller
No One Killed Jessica (2011), the
biopic
The Dirty Picture (2011), and the thriller
Kahaani (2012).