Bhumi Pednekar completed ten years in the movie industry on February 28. She made her debut in 2015 with the well-received Dum Laga Ke Haisha.
Looking back , Bhumi is filled with gratitude. “When I look back at my journey, I just want to do films that can be watched through generations. I’m so, so fortunate to have had the opportunity to do such diverse parts, you know, from playing a queer character to playing an octogenarian grandmother who stands up at the age of 65 to fight for her rights, to playing a journalist who’s fighting for the rights of young orphan girls, to what I did in Sonchiraiya, to playing my beautiful character in Bala, to what I did in Pati Patni Aur Woh, to playing an empowered girl who fights for her rights as a wife and fights for her love, to Thank You For Coming, where the film spoke about sexual liberation…I’m so overwhelmed as I speak today because the last ten years have truly, truly, truly been so special. I’ve had so much love and support from all, from everybody within the media, from directors, filmmakers, co-actors and today I’m just motivated. I just want to keep doing the work that I resonate with, keep doing the work that I believe in. And it can be tough, but I really, really hope that the next ten years are just made up of that.”
For her debut film Bhumi had to put on those kilos to look the part of an overweight wife in Hardwar. “I watched Dum Laga Ke Haisha yesterday with some people that I love, directors that have contributed to my career, and I watched the film and I realized that it’s still so fresh, it’s still so new, the film has not aged even a bit. People were laughing, people were crying, there were cheers and it wasn’t because these are people that love me and were there for me. These are people that love the film and that’s the power of good cinema, that’s the power of good content, that’s the power of a good film, it doesn’t ever get old, it doesn’t ever bore you, it is always so relevant. Gaining all that weight took me a year, but at that point, all I wanted was to do this film. I was getting to live my dream, you know, for somebody who comes from where I come, this wasn’t something expected. I still get so much love for Dum Laga Ke Haisha. So that year that I spent gaining the weight, I didn’t even realise what I was doing. I honestly was thriving because I got to do two things that I love, which was eat food and act. So I was very, very happy. It definitely was tough because for six months, I had blinders on, I was completely cut off from the world outside because I wanted to have lost as much weight as I could till the film released, and I’m really happy that I did that. And I think that was probably one of the smartest things that I did because I had to come back to being who I originally was because, I wasn’t that overweight person. I’d done that for a character. But also, I think it opened up very many doors for me because I did not want to be slotted into doing just certain kind of films because of the way I look.”
Speaking on the roles that she is the proudest of , Bhumi says, “Dum Laga Ke Haisha, followed by Bhakshak which is a very, very special film for me. Bhakshak came to me at a point in my life where I was a little confused as an actor as to what I want to do. And it really gave me a lot of clarity on what the next decade of my life should be. I’m very proud of what I did in Saandh Ki Aankh . I think what Taapsee and I both did at that point, four or five years ago when we were so young and traditionally both, I mean, I can speak for myself, but I’m sure she had that experience as well. People thought we were completely ludicrous to take up a role like Saandh Ki Aankh where we were playing 65-year-old grandmothers. But I’m so proud of that role because what Chandru and Prakashi Tomar achieved in their life, the fact that we could embody a bit of their life in this beautiful biopic is truly a badge of honour for me. They changed their ecosystem, they uplifted that entire ecosystem and girls till date are getting opportunities because of them. I’m very proud of what I did in Thank You For Coming and Badhaai Do as well. I’m sorry I can’t pick one favourite. But I feel there are very few queer stories made in our country and one like Badhaai Do that is made with such sensitivity, grace and dignity. I love that film. In an actor’s journey, there are highs and there are lows. And I think something that I’ve learned over the last few years is to accept my highs and lows with complete dignity and grace. I have learned as much from my failure as I have learned from my success. I don’t know. Am I getting the kind of roles that I want? Yes and no. I would want to experiment more. I would want to work with some filmmakers that I really, really love. So I’ll never be satisfied with what I’m getting. But with what I have, I’m very, very grateful. I still have filmmakers that trust me, that trust me with content that is different. And I’m never going to leave this space.”
Looking ahead at the next ten years Bhumi predicts, “Just a lot of happiness and peace. Whatever insecurities I have, and I’ve worked very hard towards breaking them. But if there are any left, I want to break them as well. I want to reconnect into being the content-driven actor that I am. My audiences have loved me for the content that I’ve given and that’s all I want to give. And I really, really, really hope that one of my biggest is that small and mid-sized films are going to dry up. They’re definitely going to dry up in the cinemas. And I’m told this time and again, and I really hope that doesn’t happen because it would break my heart to not see a Dum Laga Ke Haisha of the next decade in theatres. It would break my heart to not see a Shubh Mangal Savdhan of the next decade in theatres, whether I’m in it or I’m not in it. So I really, really hope that the audiences go watch small and mid-sized films in cinemas. As much as I love action, adrenaline, spectacle-driven films, I would not want to be in a world and I would not want to be an audience in the times where there’s only a Sholay and not a Chupke Chupke. Or where there is only a Toilet Ek Prem Katha and not a Dum Laga Ke Haisha. So I really hope that the next decade has me doing a lot of outings in the theatres, but with content-driven films that are feel-good, slice-of-life films as well.”
