Vidya Balan, who is celebrating her birthday today, is undoubtedly an epitome of grace, her affable nature and bold roles make her stand out always. She is a diva for all the right reasons, be it her personality, acting talent or even her style statements, and she always strikes the right chord with her fans. Needless to say, she is also an inspiration to many.On her birthday, the star who has always shone brightly every time she graced the big screen, turned the spotlight on those who inspire her. The star opened up on those who inspire her to stand firm in the face of the unforgiving film industry and speaking her mind on issues, even if it means braving it all on her own.Listing down the women who inspire her, Vidya picked Rekha. While very few actors are lucky enough share screen space with the evergreen actress, Vidya starred opposite her in her very first movie. We often see the two gorgeous ladies bonding at parties. It is also said that Rekha Ji has been an inspiration for Vidya’s love for kanjivarams.Vidya Balan not only admires, but is also a huge fan of veteran star Waheeda Rehman. While Vidya’s adoration for the legend is known by all, what is even more surprising is that Waheeda harbours the same feeling for the talented star. She had once said in an interview, “The one actress I can look at and say she could be the next Waheeda Rehman is Vidya Balan.”A self-proclaimed admirer of actress Shabana Azmi, Vidya Balan in her interview with the veteran actress, revealed the inspiration behind taking up a role like Sulu or Vidya Bagchi. She said, “I derive inspiration from real people, the way they do things and therefore inspire. But I have to say, as an actor, you have made every moment feel so real and relatable. I still remember the moment in ‘Masoom’ when for the first time Naseer Saab tells you that he needs to confess something. You were putting pillows into the cupboard and you stopped there and you sense something unpleasant …But even before you say anything, your body language said it all”.Conversely, Shabana also praised the star, saying “Vidya is the only actor who can reprise my role in ‘Arth’.”The actress also picked the late Sridevi as one of her biggest inspirations. Last year, Vidya paid tribute to the star by shaking a leg to the iconic song ‘Hawa Hawai’ in ‘Tumhari Sulu’. Talking about the song, Vidya said, “I am an ardent fan of Sridevi, I was nervous (while doing the film). But having said that we are not recreating ‘Hawa Hawai’ the way it was in ‘Mr India’. It is a tribute to her, we are having fun. There is only one Sridevi.”When Sridevi passed away, the actress took to Twitter (where she rarely makes an appearance) to say, “My inspiration is No more.”
