Vidya Balan has a new film coming out called Begum Jaan in which she plays the madam of a brothel and already the trailer has tongues wagging. The film takes a look at a brothel that gets caught in the crossfire during the partition of India. When the British decide to partition India right through the brothel’s property, they tell Begum to vacate her house but Begum and her women are not going to give up easily. Why should they? It’s their home!

This is the Hindi adaption of the Begali movie Rajkahini and the film is directed by Srijit Mukherji with the film’s tagline ‘My Body, My House, My Country, My Rules’. Now if that doesn’t scream girl power, I don’t know what does!

Vidya at the press meets

Here’s what Vidya has to say about the film:

“Begum Jaan’s kotha is a safe haven. She will protect the women very fiercely. She is not ashamed of the fact that they are sex workers. It’s not a choice they have made…there is a certain freedom that she has given the girls within the confines of the home. They are all one. There are no judgments, no pre-conceived notions in her home. You are allowed to be who you want to be. Why do you have to use mother or sister to abuse anyone? Because honour is linked with women and their bodies and sexuality. Because a man has always been told that he should own a woman’s body. Your masculinity derives its identity from your ability to control, own, possess the feminine body.”

Of course there are comparisons to Vidya’s role in The Dirty Picture and how she is again playing a powerful women dealing in sex. “Begum Jaan is a fighter. She doesn’t allow anyone to dictate to her. She is the heroine of her life, not the victim…When I see a character going through a certain journey and I find it inspiring or challenging, then I want to tell that story, play that role. There is no process. It’s just instinctive.”

On Feminism: “Feminism is about standing your ground. It’s about valuing yourself. It’s about knowing that you have first right to your body, to your choices, to your life. That you have the right to equal opportunity, equal respect, equal love, equal pay, equal money. I do think it’s important for every woman to be economically independent. It’s about your choice to be/do whatever you want to.”

The cast

I’m really looking forward to this film. It’s an interesting story line and with Vidya attached to the film, you know the film will be hard hitting. No one can play a strong female character like Vidya can. The film will be released on April 14 and also stars Chunky Pandey, Naseeruddin Shah, Gauhar Khan, Ridhima Tiwari, and Pallavi Sharda. Oh and did you catch how the film’s trailer has already crossed over 18 MILLION views already? See for yourself why everyone is talking about this film. Here’s the trailer: