She calls herself the “queen of heartland cinema”, and in a short span of four years, actor Bhumi Pednekar has carved a niche for herself in the industry. An overweight girl in Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015), a woman fighting for her rights in Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017), a 65-year-old in this year’s Saand Ki Aankh or a girl with dark skin in Bala, Bhumi hasn’t shied away from off-beat and unconventional roles.
Her career, Bhumi says, is only getting better with time. “Every character that I play is only getting more challenging and making me a better actor. Every time I think about what’s next, some amazing writers and directors come with path-breaking parts for me. It’s only the start and I keep telling people that Saand Ki Aankh and Bala are only my fifth and sixth films (respectively). My journey has been very short and beautiful, and I have a long way to go,” the 30-year-old says.
Bhumi believes she has always pushed the envelope with roles outside her comfort zone. She explains, “Be it playing a fat person or an aged person. I don’t think it has anything to do with the way you look on screen, but how honestly you are telling the story.”
She goes on to explain that she has no reservations about item numbers. “I love dancing and I’m not against item songs,” she says, adding “I don’t have a problem with women wearing bikinis on screen. In fact, I’ll be wearing one on screen someday. But when women are made into objects of glamour, that is something I don’t want to do. Today, a hero or a heroine is a person that inspires anyone to be or do better. I don’t think it has anything to do with the way you look.”
And when it comes to not playing a particular kind of role, Bhumi sets the record straight once and for all. She says, “I’m not comfortable doing a film where the hero is smacking a girl’s bu** and the nation is celebrating it. I can’t be a part of a film that is anti-feminist or women bashing, or something that is out of my moral comfort.”
Bhumi also believes that her work should not only entertain but also contribute to the society. “If the audience takes back something good after stepping out of the theatre, I will be happy,” she signs off.
