Mumbai, Mar 9 (IANS): As the Vidya Balan-starrer 'Kahaani' clocks 10 years of its release on Wednesday, the actress looked back on the film which emerged as the game changer for Hindi cinema, setting the roadmap ahead for strong female characters.

Recollecting the film's schedule, Vidya said in a statement, "'Kahaani' is and will be one of my most special films. I still remember every day on that shoot. It was like our lives depended on it and we gave it our all. It has in turn given us so much over these years and continues to do so."

With the strong and powerful image of a pregnant female lead played by Vidya, 'Kahaani' grabbed the audience's attention from the word go. The engaging and compelling thriller by Sujoy Ghosh was elevated by the remarkable performance by Vidya Balan with an unexpectedly shocking climax twist, becoming one of the most celebrated movies for female actors in Indian cinema.

The actress praised her director for reviving the thriller genre with his narrative in the film which also led to a sequel, 'Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh' that came out in 2016.

Vidya added, "With 'Kahaani', Sujoy Ghosh not only presented an exciting thriller after a long time but also in a way revived the genre in India. In the last 10 years since the release of Kahaani, the concept of Indian film heroine has gotten redefined and I feel Kahaani has a huge role to play in that".

Currently, the actress is gearing up for yet another compelling character in 'Jalsa' alongside another powerhouse performer, Shefali Shah. The film will mark Vidya's third collaboration with Prime Video after 'Shakuntala Devi' and 'Sherni'.