Vidya Balan opens up about the unexpected physical reaction that left her nervous while filming a smoking scene with Rajinikanth in ‘Jailer 2’. In an exclusive conversation, the actor also reflects on changing perceptions of women smoking on screen and the trope of cigarettes as a symbol of rebellion.

Vidya Balan is gearing up to make her Tamil debut with Nelson Dilipkumar’s ‘Jailer 2’, starring superstar Rajinikanth. The actor has already grabbed attention with her striking appearance in the film’s trailer, where she is seen in a blue saree, sporting a short hairstyle and holding a cigarette. Playing Kantha, Vidya makes a commanding impression as she prepares to face off against Rajinikanth’s character.

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However, filming the smoking sequence was not as effortless as it appeared on screen. Director Nelson Dilipkumar had previously revealed that Vidya was nervous while shooting the scene on her first day on set. The sequence required her to blow smoke into Rajinikanth’s face and reportedly took three takes to get right. Nelson also noted that traces of her nervousness could still be seen in her eyes in the final shot.

Speaking to News18, where she is currently shooting for another Tamil film with R Balki, Vidya revealed that an unexpected nicotine high was behind her reaction.

“What happened on the ‘Jailer 2’ set, I think, is that I got a nicotine high. I thought I knew how to smoke. I thought I would go to the set and smoke – what the hell!” she said.

The actor explained that she had not anticipated how her body would react while filming the sequence. “After the first take, my hands started trembling and I was embarrassed. Everyone, obviously, thought that I was nervous because I was around Rajini sir. But I don’t think I went to the set nervous. I was just excited and looking forward to it. I got nervous only when my hands started trembling in front of him,” Vidya recalled.

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The situation left her wondering why it had to happen at that particular moment. Fortunately, Rajinikanth and Nelson helped put her at ease.

“I was like, ‘Oh my god, did this really have to happen today?’ But Rajini sir was very sweet about it. He would ask me every day, ‘Are you okay?’ I remember Nelson also telling me not to stress about it because then it was going to worsen,” she added.

Vidya Balan On The Changing Perception Of Women Smoking On Screen

Vidya had previously spoken about feeling hesitant to smoke while playing Silk Smitha in ‘The Dirty Picture’, given the social judgments associated with women who smoke. Asked whether the stigma surrounding women smoking still exists, the actor believes attitudes may have changed over the years.

“I think it has become uncool to smoke now. The current generation and Gen Z don’t think that smoking is cool. I believe that people are smoking less now. I don’t know about the judgments really,” said the actor, known for films such as ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ and ‘Tumhari Sulu’.

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Vidya has also spoken about how she initially struggled to portray smoking convincingly as Silk Smitha in ‘The Dirty Picture’. Although she was not a regular smoker before the film, she felt that pretending to smoke would not make the performance authentic. She had earlier revealed that she developed a smoking habit during the film and continued to smoke two to three cigarettes a day for a period before eventually quitting.

‘It Was One Way Of Showing Rebellion’: Vidya Balan On Women Smoking In Films

The conversation also turned to the portrayal of women smoking and drinking on screen, often as a shorthand for independence, defiance or power. Vidya believes the trope emerged from the social restrictions women faced around such behaviour.

“Because women smoking was so unacceptable that if they did that, it was one way of showing rebellion and that they didn’t care. Those are some tropes that people have used over time. It worked sometimes and sometimes, it looked superfluous,” she remarked.

With ‘Jailer 2’, Vidya steps into the Tamil film industry alongside one of its biggest stars, with her smoking sequence already becoming a talking point ahead of the film’s release.