Vidya Balan’s ‘nicotine high’ confession reveals what went wrong on 'Jailer 2' set

Highlights

• Vidya Balan revealed that a nicotine high left her hands trembling while filming a smoking scene with Rajinikanth in Jailer 2.
• The actress said she felt embarrassed when the unexpected reaction occurred during her first day on set.
• Rajinikanth reassured her, while director Nelson Dilipkumar encouraged her not to feel stressed.

Vidya Balan thought she knew how to smoke for her role in Jailer 2, but an unexpected reaction on set left her embarrassed in front of co-star Rajinikanth.

In an exclusive interview with News18, the actress opened up about filming a scene in which her character, Kantha, blows smoke into Rajinikanth’s face. The moment has attracted attention since the film’s trailer was released, with Vidya making a striking entrance in a blue sari, sporting a short hairstyle and holding a cigarette.

Director Nelson Dilipkumar previously revealed that Vidya was nervous while filming the sequence on her first day on set. Speaking about what happened, the actress explained that her reaction was not initially caused by acting opposite the Tamil superstar.

Vidya Balan reveals why her hands started trembling

“What happened on Jailer 2 set, I think, is that I got a nicotine high. I thought I knew how to smoke. I thought I would go to the set and smoke – what the hell!” Vidya told News18.

However, things took an unexpected turn after the first take.

“After the first take, my hands started trembling and I was embarrassed. Everyone, obviously, thought that I was nervous because I was around Rajini sir,” she said.

Vidya explained that she had actually been excited about filming the scene and looking forward to working with Rajinikanth. Her nervousness began only when she noticed her hands trembling in front of him.

“I was like, ‘Oh my god, did this really have to happen today?’” she recalled.

The actress added that Rajinikanth was understanding throughout the experience and regularly checked whether she was feeling okay. Nelson also encouraged her not to stress about the situation, warning that doing so could make it worse.

Vidya Balan on smoking as a sign of rebellion in films

Vidya’s Jailer 2 role has also brought renewed attention to the way smoking has been portrayed by women in Indian cinema.

The actress previously spoke about feeling hesitant to smoke on screen while playing Silk Smitha in The Dirty Picture. She later revealed that she was not a regular smoker before the film and had taken up smoking to portray the character authentically. She said the habit continued for a period after filming, before she eventually stopped.

Asked whether a stigma still surrounds women who smoke, Vidya suggested that attitudes have changed.

“I think it has become uncool to smoke now. The current generation and the Gen Z don’t think that smoking is cool. I believe that people are smoking lesser now. I don’t know about the judgments really,” she said.

She also reflected on the use of smoking and drinking as cinematic shorthand for a rebellious female character.

“Because women smoking was so unacceptable that if they did that, it was one way of showing rebellion and that they didn’t care,” Vidya explained.

She added that filmmakers have used such tropes over the years, but they have not always worked on screen.

Vidya makes her Tamil film debut with Nelson’s Jailer 2, which stars Rajinikanth. The action film features her as Kantha, a character whose commanding introduction has already drawn attention in the trailer.