Enrique Iglesias Sang Hero On Stage As Vidya Balan Got Debut Film Offer On Call: 'You Are My Parineeta'

Before Bollywood discovered her as Parineeta, Vidya Balan had her own movie moment — right in the middle of a concert. The actress revealed that she was attending Enrique Iglesias’ 2004 Mumbai performance

when she got the life-changing call that landed her debut film.

Speaking to Bombay Times, Vidya said she was at the concert with her friend Pavitra when director Pradeep Sarkar called to offer her Parineeta. But her phone was off as she was trying to get closer to the stage to see Enrique perform. When Pradeep couldn’t reach her, he called Pavitra instead, asking where Vidya was. Pavitra quickly handed the phone over.

“By then, Mr Chopra came on the line and told me, ‘Vidya Balan, you need to get out of that venue and reach a quieter place where you can speak,’” Vidya recalled. “VVC told me then, ‘You are my Parineeta,’ and by then Enrique had come back on stage and sang Hero.”

That was the exact moment everything changed for her. The actress said she was trembling, crying, and completely overwhelmed as Hero played in the background — a song that has remained deeply special to her ever since.

“It was undoubtedly one of the most special moments of my life,” she said.

Now, as Enrique returns to perform in Mumbai after 21 years, Vidya’s emotional connection to his concert has resurfaced — a reminder that sometimes, destiny calls at the most unexpected moments, even in the middle of a crowd singing along to Hero.

Vidya also confirmed that she will be attending Enrique’s upcoming concert. She shared that whenever people ask her about it, she laughs and says the singer is returning to India to celebrate her 20 years in the film industry.

“It almost felt like the birth of me as a heroine happened at his show while he sang Hero. You feel these moments happen only in the movies, but it happened to me in real life. I am looking forward to reliving that moment when I watch him live again,” she said.

Global pop icon Enrique Iglesias is coming back to Mumbai after 21 years, and the city can’t keep calm. The Hero and Bailamos hitmaker will perform live at the MMRDA Grounds, Bandra Kurla Complex, on October 29 and 30, marking his grand return to India after more than two decades.

The concerts have created huge excitement among fans. Tickets for the first show sold out within hours, leading to a second show being added. Prices start at Rs 7,000 for general entry and Rs 14,000 for VIP passes.

Adding a touch of Bollywood glamour, stars like Karisma Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Malaika Arora, Kiara Advani and Ranveer Singh are expected to attend the much-anticipated concert, making it one of Mumbai’s most star-studded nights of the season.