Vidya Balan had asked Satyajit Ray to cast her

Desperate to act in films since her childhood days, Bollywood star Vidya
Balan had once written to legendary
filmmaker Satyajit Ray requesting him for
a role.

"He was not keeping well then. I wrote to
him saying please get well soon and I
would love to work with you in your film,"
the actor told musician Anjan Dutta at an adda session here last night
organised by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce.

Ray, who was awarded the Oscar lifetime
achievement award, died in 1992.

Vidya, 35, who made her mark with a
series of hits like The Dirty Picture and Kahaani, was a student then
with dreams of making it big in the showbiz business.

"Ever since I was in school I wanted to be
an actress because I want to be in other
people's shoes. I empathise a lot with
people," she said.

As a young girl, she recalled being
fascinated by Madhuri Dixit's superhit
dance number ek do teen and Shabana Azmi's moving performance in the iconic
film Arth (1982). "Not only me but every girl in India that time wanted to be
Madhuri," Vidya said adding another
inspiration for her to become an actor was
Shabana.