Vidya Balan’s Web Series Based On Indira Gandhi Shelved; Is Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency The Reason? See Details

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Films like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Sardar Udham, Shershaah, and Gangubai Kathiawadi have proved that Bollywood has now entered an era of biopics. As such, almost every actor now aspires to walk a mile in the shoes of a person who has been an inspiration to a generation. However, for some artists, these dreams are just not meant to be. For example, while Randeep Hooda was all set to appear in a biopic based on the martyrs of the battle of Saragarhi, Akshay Kumar's Kesari beat him to the punch and became a huge success. A similar thing happened with National Award winner Vidya Balan as her web series on Indira Gandhi got shelved indefinitely.

Three years ago, Vidya Balan announced that she will be working on a web series where she will play the former Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi. The project was based on a critically acclaimed book by television journalist Sagarika Ghose. Vidya's husband Siddharth Roy Kapoor was supposed to produce the venture.

However, as per TOI, a source close to the project claimed that the series has now been called off. They said, "Making biopics on controversial political figures is not conducive to the current political climate. With Kangana Ranaut Playing Mrs. Gandhi, it makes no sense for Vidya Balan to go down the dangerous road."

What's interesting is that this is not the first time that a film/series on Mrs. Indira Gandhi was shelved. On her 85th birth anniversary in 2002, director N Chandra announced the launch of his new project named Indira Gandhi: A Tryst With Destiny. At the time, actress Manisha Koirala was slated to play the titular role. The film was scripted to be a sketch of Mrs. Gandhi with a strong emphasis on objectivity. The movie would not only focus on Indira's political career but her personal life as well. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances, the project couldn't come to fruition.

Vidya Balan was last seen in Suresh Triveni's Amazon Prime film Jalsa where she starred alongside Shefali Shah.