Vidya Balan denies rumors of having a secret daughter, clarifies the child is her niece

Vidya Balan has put an end to speculations surrounding a viral video that sparked rumors about her having a "secret" daughter.

The video depicted Vidya walking into an airport with a young girl and was captioned, “Vidya Balan with her cute daughter,” posted by a paparazzi account, which led to considerable buzz on social media. While some fans were surprised by the sight of Vidya with the child, others speculated that the girl could be her "step-daughter."

Vidya, in a recent conversation with Hindustan Times, has now clarified the situation.

The actress revealed that the child is her niece Ira, the daughter of her sister Priya Balan. Vidya explained, "That is my sister's daughter Ira. She has twins: a boy Ruhaan and Ira." Vidya affectionately referred to her nephew and niece as her "twin lifelines."

Vidya Balan has been married to Indian film producer Siddharth Roy Kapur since 2012, and the couple does not have children.

On the professional front, Vidya Balan's most recent appearance was in the film "Neeyat," where she portrayed a detective. The movie also featured Ram Kapoor, Prajakta Koli, and Amrita Puri, among others. "Neeyat" marked Vidya's return to the theatrical screen after a four-year hiatus. Prior to "Neeyat," her last theatrical outing was in 2019 with the film "Mission Mangal," in which she starred alongside Akshay Kumar.

Next up for Vidya Balan is "Lovers," where she will share the screen with Ileana D'Cruz and Prateik Gandhi.

Vidya Balan made her acting debut in 1995 with the popular sitcom "Hum Paanch." Her Bollywood debut came in 2005 with "Parineeta," in which she appeared alongside Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt. Vidya is renowned for her roles in films such as "The Dirty Picture," "Kahaani," "Bhool Bhulaiyaa," "Jalsa," "Begum Jaan," "Shakuntala Devi," "No One Killed Jessica," "Lage Raho Munna Bhai," and "Bombay Talkies," among others.