Vidya finally gets behind the steering wheel

Vishal Bhardwaj prefers his actors actually learn skills and not fake it on screen. So, Vidya Balan is now taking driving lessons for his home production, Ishqiya. The actress who appeared to be driving a car in her last release, Kismat Konnection, didn't actually have to drive the car. They cheated on the scenes, so it appeared that she was.

Says a source close to Vidya, "Vidya has been diligently doing everything from learning the Urdu dialect to attending workshops with Naseeruddin Shah for Vishal's film which is being directed by his chief assistant director Abhishek Choubey. Now Vidya is learning driving when earlier she was a complete phobe."

The source explains further that Vidya suffers from acute road phobia and used to be petrified at the thought of driving. "The very thought of driving a car would send shivers down her spine. But not anymore; thanks to Vishal Bhardwaj.

Vishal saw to it that she mastered the art and now is pretty comfortable maneuvering her car on the roads. She has been taking driving lessons from an instructor in Chembur for the last couple of weeks and has today completely got over her phobia."

Vidya says, "I used to be petrified of driving the thought of it would completely unnerve me. And even when I would sit with my driver I wouldn't look outside much. I would be busy on my phone or reading so that I wouldn't have to watch the road.

But now I am learning to face my and I would like to thank Vishal for helping me overcome my fears." Vidya has been practising driving on her two cars an Innova, which she uses regularly and a Mercedes. Vishal is also the music director of Ishqiya. The film, a romantic thriller, is about a trio Vidya plays a classical singer while Arshad and Naseer play uncle and nephew. Vidya plays a scheming con-woman who takes the uncle-nephew pair on a royal ride. Ishqiya will be shoot in North India.