Made in a reported budget of Rs 32 crore, the film earned over Rs 82 crore, catapulting its lead actress to overnight success. Scroll down to know its name!

Vidya Balan is indeed one of the finest actresses of Bollywood. With a glorious career spanning decades, she created a nice for herself in the entertainment industry with her impeccable talent and unconventional portrayals. But among all the superhit films Vidya Balan has starred in, one that made her an overnight sensation, is her role as Avni and Manjulika in Priyadarshan’s widely acclaimed 2007 release Bhool bhulaiyaa.

Making her much-praise debut in ParineetaVidya impressed audiences with her flawless performance in Pradeep Sarkar’s directorial. Two years following her debut, she starred in Bhool Bhulaiyaa opposite Akshay Kumar, Ameesha Patel, and Shiney Ahuja. The film is the remake of the 1993 Malayalam-language film Manichitradhazhuand saw Vidya portraying a complex and challenging character.

While today, it is hard to imagine any other actress stepping in to play the role of Manjulika or Avni, however, you will be surprised to know that Vidya Balan wasn’t the first choice of director Priyadarshan for Bhool Bhulaiyaa. The role was first offered to Aishwarya Rai, but the actress rejected it as she wasn’t sure to play a haunted character. Rani Mukerji, was too offered the role, but she didn’t show much interest, and eventually the role went to Vidya Balan, whose effortless performance made her earn widespread recognition.

Released on October 12, 2007, Bhool Bhulaiyaa was a critical as well as a commercial success. Made in a reported budget of Rs 32 crore, the film earned over Rs 82 crore worldwide. The horror comedy drama also starred Paresh Rawal, Manoj Joshi, and Rajpal Yadav in key roles.