 Vidya aspired to a career in film from a young age , and had her first acting role in the 1995 sitcom Hum Paanch . She pursued a master 's degree in sociology from the University of Mumbai and simultaneously made several unsuccessful attempts to start a career in film . She subsequently featured in various television commercials and music videos , and in 2003 made her feature film debut as the protagonist of the independent Bengali drama Bhalo Theko . In 2005 Vidya garnered praise for her first Hindi film , the drama Parineeta , and followed it with a leading role in the highly successful 2006 comedy film Lage Raho Munna Bhai . 
