 Vidya occupied the top slot in Rediff.com 's annual listing of " Bollywood 's Best Actress " for two consecutive years ( 2010 – 11 ) . She also featured in the list for the years 2005 , 2006 , 2009 , and 2012 . In 2010 , she featured in Filmfare 's listing of the " Women we love " . In 2012 , the magazine Verve listed her as one of India 's " Young Power Women " and wrote , " In a reel world peopled by size zero @-@ toned bodies and pretty @-@ as @-@ a @-@ picture heroines , Vidya comes across as completely real and natural – a woman who has followed her own instincts and dared to live her destiny by being her own person and not morphing herself to fit into any conventional slot . " In 2014 , Vidya was awarded the Padma Shri , the fourth highest civilian award in India , for her contributions to the entertainment industry . The following year , she received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Rai University ; the university also named a scholarship program for underprivileged girls after her . The chancellor of the university , Harbeen Arora said , " Among the league of iconic actors , Vidya is a pioneer in every way . Her films epitomise a distinct Indianness and a powerful womanhood " . 
