Vidya Balan offered role of Benazir Bhutto in biopic

E-Paper | March 12, 2026

After being lauded for her versatile roles, Bollywood actor Vidya Balan has now been offered to play the role of the slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto reported Deccan Chronicle.

The actor who was praised for her critically acclaimed films Dirty Picture and Ishqia is currently working on her upcoming film Hamari Adhuri Kahani and has also been approached to play late Indian actor Suchitra Sen.

Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on December 27 in Rawalpindi when she was addressing an election rally at Liaquat Bagh Park.

Earlier in 2014, India had banned a film Kaum De Heere based on the assassination of the late Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

While no formal statement has been issued by the actor,the film would be the first attempt to essay the life of Benazir who became the first female Muslim Prime Minister after she became the PM in 1988 following the death of former President General Ziaul Haq.

Entertainment

Farooq

Feb 03, 2015 03:39pm

If she does the role, she will be nominated in best performance as villain category in all award ceremonies

Recommend 0

MHamza

Feb 03, 2015 03:40pm

She will spoil the role as i don't think an Indian actress who has never met her could play Benazir Bhutto. She was an iron lady and the way she was, is just fantastic. ...!!!

Recommend 0

madhusudan

Feb 03, 2015 03:58pm

She will not suit the role, savera nadeem or manhor baloch are good choices.

Recommend 0

Shazzam

Feb 03, 2015 07:06pm

@MHamza She ll just read about Benazir.

Recommend 0

siddharth

Feb 03, 2015 07:06pm

Vidya Balan is great choice. Gandhi was played by Ben Kingsley and nobody could have done better.

Recommend 0

Ashraf

Feb 03, 2015 07:09pm

I am sure there are plenty Pakistani actresses who are more suitable for the role of BNB.

Recommend 0

Sarah

Feb 03, 2015 07:15pm

Samina Peerzada or Tisca Chopra could do better.

Recommend 0

tashu

Feb 03, 2015 07:16pm

Outstanding actress for the role of outstanding lady..

Recommend 0

AlifBayPay

Feb 03, 2015 07:27pm

If resemblance is a criteria then Nosheen Abbas, a journalist who works for bbc urdu, has got striking resemblance with Benazir, at least with how Benazir was in her prime.

Recommend 0

Amit

Feb 03, 2015 07:48pm

shabana azmi

Recommend 0

fawad

Feb 03, 2015 08:09pm

Benazir movie is not glorifying assassins, but Benazir.

Recommend 0

Chanakya

Feb 03, 2015 08:09pm

Was not shiekh Hassina, the first female Prime Minister of a Muslim country?Or Mayawati Sukarno Putri?

Recommend 0

adnan

Feb 03, 2015 08:14pm

i doubt the audience size for such a movie.

Recommend 0

Allah ka banda

Feb 03, 2015 08:23pm

Sameena Pirzada a better choice.

Recommend 0

Anwar

Feb 03, 2015 08:51pm

Benazir Bhutto was really an Indian sympathizer. Never forget her role to stop Khalistan movement in Indian punjab when she handed over important files to then PM of India Rajiv Gandhi during his visit to Islamabad unconditionally definitely under US pressure (As our all Govt. tradiional remain under US pressure) and then India crush Sikhs mercilessly in Punjab

Recommend 0

thulloo

Feb 03, 2015 09:27pm

Alia Bhatt is the right choice................lol

Recommend 0

Sunil

Feb 03, 2015 09:54pm

Who is the producer? If its produced by Indian, directed by Indian, it will be banned definitely. And if the producer is Pakistani, and the director is Pakistani, it will flop in India.

Recommend 0

Kashif

Feb 03, 2015 10:16pm

Indian Obsession with Pakistan and our personalities never ends... I think as India is changing the names of their cities they should also work on creating an original name for their cinema industry. Second make plagiarism of scripts punishable, I know that would impact 99% of that industry but its a start. Even 1% originality is a good start.

Recommend 0

Shahzad

Feb 03, 2015 11:41pm

@Allah ka banda I remeber Samina Peerzada, and as a matter of fact she was one of my favourites in her TV shows. I wonder how does she look now. Yes, I do agree with you that she has a better resemblance. At the same time with the latest make-up techniques available, may be they can make Vidya resemble BNB as well. I will love to see the film once it is released.

Recommend 0

Bushra

Feb 04, 2015 12:13am

Vidya Balan could never do justice to her character. No character resemblence at all. Chosing a Pakistani actress would look more authentic in terms of looks as well as feel. Even Mahira Khan would be great!

Recommend 0

Hamaad

Feb 04, 2015 01:12am

Faryal Gauhar would be a better choice

Recommend 0

Chanakya

Feb 04, 2015 01:52am

She is too pretty, and young for Benzir.

Recommend 0

Anonymous

Feb 04, 2015 02:07am

Bilawal would do a better job.

Recommend 0

KafirMusafir

Feb 04, 2015 02:18am

Actors who are females are preferably called actresses... FYI

Recommend 0

Anil nair

Feb 04, 2015 02:21am

This, actually doesn't make any sense.

Recommend 0

Amarnath

Feb 04, 2015 03:07am

@MHamza : Ben Kingsley portrayed Gandhi without meeting him. The movie and the actors won oscars and many other awards. I can quote many such examples. your point is invalid.

Recommend 0

Black Sabbath

Feb 04, 2015 03:45am

@siddharth : Few people know this but Ben Kingsley's birth name is Krishna Pandit Bhanji. His father was a Gujarati & mother caucasian british.

Recommend 0

Black Sabbath

Feb 04, 2015 03:51am

@Kashif : I'm not a big fan of Bollywood myself. But original or not, the Indian film industry is the second biggest film industry in the world & a soft power for India in itself. When the President of the US, utters a Bollywood movie dialog in his speech, that says something. You should worry about Pakistani film industry which plays second fiddle to Bollywood in its own country.

Recommend 0

Ravi Dallas TX

Feb 04, 2015 04:25am

There will be many controversies and politicians will try to take mileage out of this. VidyaBalan should stay out of this ,IMO.

Recommend 0

arshy

Feb 04, 2015 04:34am

she's too dark to play benazir

Recommend 0

Range Rover

Feb 04, 2015 04:44am

@Chanakya Sheikh Haseena Wajid became PM in 1991 and SMBB in 1988. Megawati Sukarnoputri was never a PM. I wonder how ill informed you and the people who recommended your comment are!

Recommend 0

Jason

Feb 04, 2015 04:53am

What's so special about Benazir Bhutto? As far as I'm concerned, she's just a Pakistani version of Sonia Gandhi

Recommend 0

Topkhani

Feb 04, 2015 05:17am

Vidya Balan is a great talent, She might do a good job.

Recommend 0

Zak

Feb 04, 2015 07:50am

No indian can play a pakistani. To reflect the very essence of Pakistan, once has to be a pakistani , bringing foreigners always fails.

Recommend 0

Zak

Feb 04, 2015 08:05am

@siddharth Ben Kingsley was indian playing an Indian, so it was ok. Daniel pearl movie was about pakistani characters , but played by indians and set in India, and it flopped badly. lady Diana movie, had the ugliest indian play the handsomest pakistani doctor, Hasnat khan, and it flopped. Besides Benazir was very fair, this indian woman is so dark.

Recommend 0

Sachin

Feb 04, 2015 08:36am

@Ashraf sure i agree.... but this is bollywoods choice...

Recommend 0

Ramesh

Feb 05, 2015 09:12pm

Finally Indians are glorifying pakistani ex-pm. This is called creativity and is a reason why Bolllywood is the best entertainment watched by billions all over the world.

Recommend 0

mashooq

Feb 09, 2015 09:56pm

Recommend 0

Branded Content

Master MoltyFoam’s Women’s Day initiative supports the next generation of female athletes

This year, Master MoltyFoam used the occasion to highlight the importance of support in sports by launching an initiative focused on encouraging young female athletes in Pakistan.