Vidya Balan recalls how her mother wanted to see her in Hum Paanch

No matter how many years you've spent, or how successful you are, it is impossible to forget that first big break in life. Perhaps, the current generation may not be aware, but Vidya Balan had begun her career with the popular family drama Hum Paanch (1995-2006) that aired on Zee TV.

Balan had a sense of nostalgia as she reunited with her Hum Paanch colleagues at the silver jubilee celebration of Zee TV. Balan was joined by actors Shoma Anand, Bhairavi Raichuria, Vandana Pathak and their reel father Ashok Saraf.

The actress couldn’t hide her joy at the reunion with her Hum Paanch colleagues. "I’m really really excited to be back with my Mathur family. Though we do try and keep in touch with each other, this reunion was long-pending. I joined the cast one year into the launch and yet they welcomed me with so much warmth. We had nicknames for each other which I, obviously, can’t share (giggles)," she said.

Adding further, she said, “Also, I used to be very nervous then and was scared to deliver dialogues on-screen. It was Bina ji and all the others who helped me cope with my fears. It’s hard to believe that we worked together almost two decades ago. But this show, my character and each cast member will always be very close to my heart.”

It must be recalled that Balan wasn’t the first choice, but had replaced Amita Nangia for the role of Radhika Mathur. Balan was perhaps destined to be part of this show which was a huge hit with her mother.

“I had done a couple of ad films and was auditioning for television shows when Hum Paanch happened. The show was a huge hit when it first aired in 1995 and my mum, being an avid follower of the show, would always say that she’d like to see me in a show like Hum Paanch. One year later, I got a call from Ekta Kapoor who asked me if I would like to play the role of Radhika Mathur. My joy knew no bounds and I just wanted to scream and dance even before putting down the phone, but for some strange reason, I just said 'Sure'.” 

The rest, as they say, is history. After leaving Hum Paanch, Balan got her first big break in the Hindi film industry with Parineeta (2005).  

Fans can watch Balan, the Hum Paanch team and more at the silver jubilee celebrations on 27 November at 5pm on Zee TV.