The Dirty Picture changed my life forever, says Vidya Balan

When size zero became a buzzword for Bollywood, actress Vidya Balan broke the stereotype around a conventional Bollywood heroine's look by proudly flaunting her curvaceous figure in Milan Luthria's directorial film ‘The Dirty Picture’. As the film, which was based on the life of adult film star Silk Smitha, has completed seven years on Sunday, Vidya, who rose to a spectacular amount of fame for the role of Silk, became emotional and penned a heartfelt post on the Instagram saying, the film changed her life forever.

"On December 2, 2011, 7 years ago, 'The Dirty Picture' released and changed my life forever. But everytime someone asks me how I did it, I don't know what to say? Perhaps because Milan made it so easy for me... He hand held me throughout and all I wanted was to do justice to 'Silk' and live up to the faith that had been placed in me by Ekta Kapoor (producer) and Milan," the 39-year-old actress wrote.

Also featuring actors Tusshar Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah and Emraan Hashmi, ‘The Dirty Picture’ released in 2011. Vidya's uninhibited portrayal as Silk Smitha won her a lot of praise and a National Award. She thanked Luthria for making her "feel free as a bird" and thanked Ekta for giving her the 1990s hit sitcom ‘Hum Paanch’ and a movie like ‘The Dirty Picture’.

"Milan, however tells me, his big concern was that he should not let me down. Of course, he did not and not just that, he lifted me so high that I felt free as a bird... For that and for believing in me, thank you my dearest Ekta for 'Hum Paanch', may be there would have been no 'The Dirty Picture' for me without 'Hum Paanch'," she added. Along with the post, Vidya also posted a picture with Luthria -- a capture from Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone's wedding reception here on Saturday night.