Vidya Balan was born on January 1, 1982 in Palakkad, Kerala. She is an Indian actress based in Mumbai, India.

She is a tamilian from Kerala, she hails from the Iyer community in Palghat, on the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

She did her schooling from St. Antony's School and later on at St. Xavier's College where she graduated in Sociology. She soon started work on her MA from Mumbai University when she was offered a role in a Malayalam film starring Mohanlal, but it was later shelved due to issues with the director.

She speaks English, Hindi, Malayalam, and Tamil. After filming Parineeta (2005), can also speak Bengali quite well.

She has been listed as number 8 of 'Top Bollywood Actresses' of 2006. (rediff.com, 8-25-2006)