'You do not need to roar to be a tigress'

Vidya Balan said that her upcoming movie 'Sherni' is an ode to countless women who navigate their way and overcome several challenges, sometimes even without making any noise.

In Amit Masurkar's drama, the 'Tumhari Sulu' star plays an upright forest officer who is tasked to resolve the man-animal conflict.

Through her journey, the film follows how Balan's character takes on the patriarchal society and navigates her way through social barriers put up for women.

During a virtual press conference, the Bollywood actor said that the film is a representation of women of all kinds who are striving to make a change.

"You do not need to roar to be a tigress. There are various shades and reflections of 'sherni' that each of us represents. My character is a woman of few words - reserved but strong-willed. So you can be that," said Vidya.

She added, "You do not have to scream out loud from the rooftops to be heard all the time or even be visible all the time. In each of the households in India, there is a 'sherni' and a lot of times she is invisible. This is my salute to all of them out there."

Produced by 'T-Series' and 'Abundantia Entertainment', 'Sherni' is set to stream on 'Amazon Prime Video' on June 18.

The 42-year-old actor shared that because she is a public figure, the audience can see and appreciate the 'tigress' in her, but the will to survive and fight back is inherent to all.

'Sherni' also stars Sharad Saxena, Mukul Chaddha, Vijay Raaz, Ila Arun, Brijendra Kala and Neeraj Kabi.