I am not ready for motherhood yet

Vidya Balan explains why she has taken a break despite not being pregnant.

Recently, there have been too many speculations about Vidya Balan. We decided to catch up with her at her Juhu house. The actress answered the questions without batting an eyelid. Excerpts from the conversation:

You were the brand ambassador for a recent award function in Florida but didn't go for it. What happened?

For the past few months, I am having niggling health issues that I'm trying to sort out. I've been travelling a lot over the last few months and another long distance trip would have been exhausting.

You also surprised everyone by opting out of Sujoy Ghosh's next, Durga Rani Singh...

It was not an easy decision. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, I couldn't believe what I was saying. But I had a valid reason. In our industry, health is the last priority but I couldn't afford to neglect mine any further. If Mohit Suri's Hamari Adhuri Kahani had started in March according to the original schedule, I would have opted out of that film too.

Will Kangana Ranaut, who has replaced you in the film, do justice to the role?

Who am I to decide that? Kangana is a good actress. And Sujoy is a wonderful director, he will make a nice film.

Are you definitely doing Hamari Adhuri Kahani?

Absolutely. We plan to roll in October/November. I am really excited about doing a film for which Mahesh Bhatt has written a script after 14 years.

Let me ask this straight: Are you pregnant?

I'm fed up of these rumours. These days people look at my stomach when they talk to me. Why are actors and actresses treated differently in this industry? Recently, a young actress did something to look different and she was castigated. Haven't male actors got cosmetic jobs done?

Inshallah, I will have a baby-but not so soon. I'm not mentally ready for motherhood yet. It's a daunting task to be responsible for another human being.

But you are in your 30s...

Motherhood has nothing to do with age. This is a predicament most working women face today since they are getting married in their 30s. Many of my friends have told me that it's fulfilling to wake up in the morning and look at your baby, clean him/her up--but it's all so consuming. This would leave you with little energy for anything else. I don't know how I'll deal with that.

Has life changed after marriage?

(Smiles) I go to my parents' house everyday and I'm back by dinnertime to be with Siddharth. I am enjoying the best of both the worlds. My sister, her husband and their kids have shifted to Khar. The kids are so fascinating. But as I said, I am not mentally ready to have my own kids yet. Give me some time, please.

The interview will be incomplete without asking you how you felt when your last two films, Ghanchakkar and Shaadi Ke Side Effects, failed...

I was very disappointed, I kept trying to figure out why they didn't click but I couldn't. Lesson learnt: There is no formula for success in movies.