Jalsa trailer launch a nostalgic event for Vidya Balan

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Amazon Prime Video launched the trailer of their new thriller Jalsa at the Hotel Taj Land’s End on March 9. The lead cast of Vidya Balan, Shefali Shah, Iqbal Khan, Vidhatri Bandi and Rohini Hattangadi, producers Vikram Malhotra and Chaitanya Divan and director Suresh Triveni attended. Jalsa will stream from March 18.

In 2021, Vidya Balan had delivered Malhotra’s Sherni, and before that Shakuntala, both released also on Amazon Prime Video. In 2017, she had starred in Tumhari Sulu , marking the debut of her director Triveni. The day of the event, March 9, also marked the completion of a decade for Vidya’s path-breaking super-hit, Kahaani. Diverting to the film, she said that it was incredible that a decade had passed, and said that she remembered each and every shooting day of that film.

Vidya revealed that she had initially not accepted Jalsa. “When Suresh (Triveni, director) narrated the script, I loved it but I said I can’t do it. I didn’t have the guts! But when the pandemic happened, something changed. It changed all of us in a very deep way. One day, I was just having a chat with Suresh and he told me that he had reworked the script. So I read it again.” This time, Vidya accepted the movie.

She added, “I have the good fortune of playing some amazing characters, but this is first time, I had to delve deep into the grey shade of a character. I don’t think I could have done it with anyone other than Suresh, as I can trust him blindly. Jalsa is a story of human beings and not only about two women. It is a drama with elements of thrill, and I can’t wait everyone to watch it. Also, there is no attempt to put out a message. But after the film, if the audience can relate to something, then it is a bonus for us.”

Jalsa has Vidya Balan playing the character of a popular journalist, Maya, while Shefali Shah is Rukhsana, who is her cook.

Asked by newsindiatimes.com how it was to work for the first time with a powerhouse performer in Shefali after doing No One Killed Jessica with Rani Mukerji way back in 2011, Vidya stated, “I have worked with some amazing actors but there is only one Shefali Shah! I have watched her since I first faced the camera for a television show, which did not take off. It was her scene and we were playing a bunch of college students. I remember being mesmerized watching her perform. Since then, I have watched everything that she has done. It was an absolute honor to share the screen space with her. I hope we get more opportunities to work together as we don’t have many scenes together in this film.”

Shefali reciprocated, “I feed off my co-stars, and it was wonderful working with Vidya. She has enhanced my acting. The kind of work she does is just amazing!”

Director Suresh Triveni added that he could not “believe my luck in being able to direct Vidya again and also Shefali” in the film. He thanked the producers for their faith in him. He confessed that when three women—Vidya, Shefali and Rohini—were together on the sets one day, he was totally nervous.