Vidya Balan, known for her powerful performances, stepped into Bollywood 20 years ago with her film Parineeta.

Her debut film, Parineeta, was released in theatres on June 10, 2005, and to mark the completion of two decades, it is all set for a re-release.

A special screening of the film was held yesterday, and the majority of the cast members attended the event.

Marking the 20th anniversary of the film, producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra shared some interesting details about Vidya Balan’s audition for the female lead of the film.

The producer revealed that the 46-year-old actress gave many auditions, and in the end, she became so frustrated that she even ended up using some gaalis.

He further said, “Vidya had gone through a lot of tests. She was so exhausted by the process that she actually muttered gaalis before her final audition. I could see her saying, 'Who does he think he is?' By then, she had done 20-25 tests. But then she gave such a brilliant final test, it was unbelievable. I told Pradeep, call her immediately.”

Recalling the moment of receiving the confirmation call for her role, the Sherni actress said, she was in a concert when she received the call and told him to call back later, but he insisted, “come outside your life is going to change.”

“So, I came out, and he told me on the phone, 'You're my Parineeta.' And I started crying right there. It was a crazy moment,” she added.

Vidya Balan played the role of Lolita in the film, which is now set to relaunch in a restored 8K version on August 29, 2025.