Vidya Balan's best roles: From Parineeta to Bobby

After having played a mother several times, Vidya Balan can easily be termed as the ultimate mommy of Bollywood. No wonder Vidya Balan continues to fuel rumours of her pregnancy with her onscreen roles. When the Padma Shri winner was not seen pregnant onscreen, she broke several stereotypes by playing a physically challenged woman in Guru, a Radio Jockey in Lage Raho Munna Bhai and ghost Manjulika in Bhool Bhulaiyaa.

Here's taking a look at some of her best roles in a career that spans almost a decade now.

No one in Bollywood could do a Manjulika better than Vidya Balan who played the role of a woman haunted by a ghost in the comic-horror thriller Bhool Bhulaiyaa. Vidya effortlessly played an educated Avni in the film who much to the horror of the audience drastically changes into Manjulika. Vidya also got nominated for the Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in the film.

The actress donned about a dozen get-ups to hide her identity in Bobby Jasoos. From a bald astrologer to a dirty beggar, and even a pregnant woman,Vidya impressed with her many disguises in the film.

The actress walked around with a huge baby bump for months during the making of Kahaani. Moreover, the sporty actress was so attached to her character of a pregnant woman searching for her husband that she carried her bump even to the film’s promotional events.

The diva shared screen space with the already married actor and a father of two - Farhan Akhtar in Shaadi Ke Side Effects. While Vidya flaunted a baby bump for the umpteenth time, Farhan Akhtar too accompanied her with his bump in the film. The film did well at the box-office but couldn't cross the Rs 100-crore mark.

While several yesteryear actresses shy away from turning moms on screen, Vidya Balan put her brave foot forward and went on to play the mother of 71-year-old superstar Amitabh Bachchan in Paa. No less than a father figure for Vidya Balan, Big B played her son who suffered from a degenerative disease, progeria. Vidya not only played mom to Mr Bachchan but also took home the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her motherhood skills.

Vidya Balan’s fascination with motherhood began with her first comedy film Heyy Babyy. Vidya Balan is not seen pregnant in any frame but plays the mother of a baby girl, Angel, in the Sajid Khan film. Packed with funny one-liners and hilarious scenes, the film also featured Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh and Fardeen Khan in lead roles.

Box-office blockbuster Guru may be remembered as one of the best films that Bollywood couple Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan have acted in together, but Vidya Balan too was lauded for her portrayal of a wheelchair-bound girl Meena in the film. Vidya had a small role in the film but her acting excellence could not be overshadowed.

Vidya Balan’s best performance till date remains The Dirty Picture which brought her the National as well as the Filmfare Award besides fetching her multiple other Awards. Vidya played South siren Silk Smitha with such excellence that she even overshadowed the likes of Naseeruddin Shha, Emraan Hashmi and Tusshar Kapoor who starred alongside her in the film. Vidya’s extremely raunchy and seductive act set the silver screen on fire.

Vidya Balan plays a not-so-honest housewife in the comedy-thriller Ishqiya and won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for her performance. The actress played a rustic housewife who fired saucy one-liners and had a double romantic fling with actors Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi in the film. This one was definitely Vidya Balan’s most spicy avatar, second to only The Dirty Picture.

After featuring in a Bengali film, Bhalo Theko, Vidya Balan hit the bulls-eye with her big Bollywood debut, Parineeta opposite Saif Ali Khan. Vidya not only surprised everyone with her traditional looks and screen presence but also took home the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut besides being nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.

Vidya Balan made everyone sit up and take note of the situation in the country with her powerful act in No One Killed Jessica. Vidya played the sister of the murdered Jessica Lall in the film based on the real Jessica Lall murder case. Vidya’s bespectacled act and her struggle for the sake of justice won several hearts and fetched her the Filmfare nomination for the Best Actress.