Enrique Iglesias is set to return to India for live concerts after more than a decade, igniting fan excitement across the nation. The pop sensation will perform on October 29 and 30 at the MMRDA Ground in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai. This marks his first visit since his Euphoria World Tour in 2012, which saw him perform in Pune, Gurugram, and Bengaluru.
This much-anticipated return coincidentally brings to mind a pivotal moment in Bollywood history, deeply intertwined with Iglesias’s music. Celebrated actress Vidya Balan recently shared the extraordinary circumstances under which she received her career-defining role in the 2005 film ‘Parineeta’. Despite her current selective filmography, Balan remains a formidable presence in the industry, and her debut feature role came about in a remarkably serendipitous fashion.
Recounting the night to Bombay Times, Balan detailed attending an Enrique Iglesias concert in Mumbai in 2004 with her friend, Pavitra. While trying to get closer to the stage, Balan’s phone was switched off. It was during this electrifying atmosphere, as Iglesias temporarily left the stage, that director Pradeep Sarkar attempted to reach her with the life-changing offer.
Unable to connect with Balan directly, Sarkar then called Pavitra, asking for Vidya. What followed was a moment of destiny. Pavitra handed the phone to Balan, informing her that producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra wanted to speak with her. Chopra, on the call, immediately instructed Balan to find a quiet spot away from the concert’s din.
It was in that hushed conversation that Chopra delivered the iconic line, “You are my Parineeta.” The declaration coincided precisely with Iglesias’s return to the stage, as he began to perform his hit song “Hero.” Balan described the overwhelming feeling, her hands and feet trembling, calling it “undoubtedly one of the most special moments” of her life.
Balan playfully notes that she jokingly tells people she has completed 20 years in films, and it’s no surprise Iglesias is returning to celebrate. She attributes her “birth as a heroine” to that specific concert when “Hero” played. If she were to dedicate a song to Enrique Iglesias, she humorously states it would be “Piyu Bole” from her own film, ‘Parineeta’, cementing the unforgettable connection between her career’s genesis and his music.