On screen, she is fighting patriarchy with her powerful roles, on social media sheís making the right noises for conserving the environment. Over our zoom call, I also meet the young, simple girl who loves doing make-up and likes to look good at all times. Clearly, thereís more to Bhumi Pednekar than meets the eye. You know because of the roles that I do... I donít get to glam up in my films. But in real life Iím so away from those roles or those characters that I play, I take out all my frustration on myself when Iím not in front of the camera. I love playing dress-up, chuckles the actress. One wouldn't have known that sheís as fond of make-up kits as sheís of method acting. The stark contrast between Bhumiís on-screen and off-screen personalities makes her more real than most. Her candid replies make you aware she's actually woke and not pretending to be so. Her relatability is her USP and the more you learn of her inspiring journey, the more your respect grows. Bhumi started off on a strong note with Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015), then went from one high to another in her career and five years later sheís reached that point where author-backed roles are being written for her. 2020 started off on a high as she received the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics) for Saand Ki Aankh, along with Taapsee Pannu. And sheís closing the year with the spectacle called Durgamati, her first project where sheís the solo lead. The candid, witty, compassionate actress talks nineteen-to-the-dozen about making her way in a manís world, surviving the lockdown, becoming a warrior for environmental issues and losing her heart to showbiz that kind of explains the lack of a special someone in her life... Excerpts...
This year has also given us a lot of time to sit back and introspect. What are the biggest learnings youíve had this year?
The biggest learning Iíve had this year definitely has to be that we give ourselves too much importance. We all feel like we are invincible and that nothing can affect us. And that we are above everything else, well, we are not.
I think the Universe has given all of us a tight slap and taught us a big lesson that donít mess with the basic running of the world. The year helped me become a humbler human being. Also since I spent so much time with my family, on a lighter note, I feel Iíve relearnt a lot of things about my sister and my mother and a lot of things about myself as well. Things that I thought Iím not capable of doing like cooking... Iíd thought oh my God Iíd never be able to cook... you get so busy with your career that you start feeling that if you ever have to stay home and do the household work, will you be able to manage? But I managed it really well. As I said, I learnt a lot about my sisterís work. Her law world was completely unknown to me. I have a newfound respect for her because Iíve always looked at her as just my younger sister. For the first time, I saw her as a professional and realised the amount of work she puts into it. I learnt a lot from my mum as well. My mum writes and we discussed it a lot.
I walked down our family history. I learnt so much about my grandparents and my uncles and aunts. Like this time was tough, but itís a period that Iím going to miss and Iím going to hold close to my heart. Iím already getting withdrawal symptoms. As much as I want to go shoot, nothing takes away from that, Iím already having withdrawals that Iím not going to have this for a long time again.
Tell us one thing that really made you sad this year and one thing that you are thankful for?
2020 has been a tough year. Losing a friend, a co-star, that was one of the most hard-hitting moments not just for me but for Sushantís fans as well. And for so many people across the spectrum whoíd worked with him. That was definitely one of the toughest moments for me. Apart from that, there are so many families I know, whoíve lost their loved ones, This time is such that youíve only been hearing about heartbreaking, brutal things that are happening around. People are losing their jobsÖ But thereíve been some good moments too. I have a couple of friends whoíve become parents. Also, weíre seeing some positive change in the way people are looking at things. The work Iíve been doing with the Climate Warrior campaign or with Abhyudaya Ashram is giving me immense joy. These were my guiding lights through the lockdown. The kids at Abhyudaya Ashram kept me afloat, they kept me rolling, they kept my competitive and ambitious side alive. Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare releasing was definitely a fantastic time for me. The kind of love the film got... the reviews the film got... Now whatever happens with Durgamati, I donít want to jump the gun, hopefully thatíll be good too.
Durgamati is your first project where youíre the solo lead. What are your expectations from the film?
Tons and tons! My expectations are extremely high. Itís the first time Iím helming a project. The film already has a successful Telugu version which is called Bhaagamathie. And Anushka Shetty had done a fantastic job in it. I have a lot of responsibility where this film is concerned. Also, the names connected to the film, be it Akshay sir (Akshay Kumar), Abundantia, Amazon, all of them have a lot of credibility so I have to make sure that my hard work pays off. The filmís a genre breaker, to be honest. I have not seen myself do the things Iím doing in the film. Thereís a lot of hard work that has gone into the film, itís a conspiracy thriller, with a horror story. I enjoyed making the film because itís a family entertainer. Itís not one of those horror films that you canít watch. Iím nervous too.
Durgamati was meant to release in theatres but then the world changed. How did you react when you came to know itís going to have a direct-to-digital release?
Iím going to be honest. Iím a consumer of the OTT platform. So I love all our OTT platforms. Thereís path-breaking work happening on these platforms. But being a film actor, someone who is so used to seeing her films release on the big screen and someone who loves the theatre-viewing experience, I had mixed feelings. I wasnít sure, especially for a film like Durgamati because it is a spectacle. The film is extremely larger than life. Once you see the film, youíll understand that itís an experience. So I was a little confused. Iíve already had Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare that came out on a similar platform. The love that the film got was amazing. And that experience taught me that if you have a good film, it doesnít matter what medium people watch it on. Iím glad that at least my film is reaching people in the same timeline that it was supposed to reach people earlier. I feel that films do get stale. Every film has a shelf life and you need to enjoy it then. We all move on with our lives, Iím going to start shooting my next film in January. There is a certain amount of relevance and also the business needs to keep rolling. Besides, the kind of reach all our OTT platforms have
is immense.
You worked with Akshay Kumar in Toilet: Ek Prem Katha but this time heís not acting with you. How is he as a producer?
I would say heís more hands-on as a producer than heís as an co-actor. Heís someone I keep learning from. Iíve always maintained that he has had the biggest influence in my career and in my life. I was fortunate that I did the film Toilet... with him so early in my career, so I learnt many things, professionalism, punctuality, mutual respect for everyone around, being happy, hard work.... When I saw him take on the hat of a producer or a presenter, I realised that he is as involved. Be it the script sessions that we had, the post- production work that went into the film, he was constantly checking with me when we were shooting or with the director. He was completely up to date with whatever was happening on the set. And he has four films in a year. I was like how do you make time, how is it possible? I donít know, he just has superhuman strength. I did not expect this level of knowledge and investment from him as he is so busy, but he surprised me.
In your next project Badhaai Do, youíre teaming up with Rajkummar Rao for the first time. How excited are you collaborating with him and secondly are you going to miss one of your favourite co-stars Ayushmann Khurrana who was part of Badhaai Ho?
Iím definitely going to miss Ayushmann. I think the chemistry that AK and I have is cracking. It just happens. You know whenever we speak to each other weíre constantly telling each other that we havenít found that comfort elsewhere, even though I have had the opportunity to work with some amazing co-stars. But me and Ayushmann, there is something special about what we do. And coming back to Rajkummar, heís one of my favourite Indian actors. I thoroughly love his work. Iím nervous that I really have to up my game. Heís so good with comedy. Iíve met Rajkummar a couple of times in a professional space for Badhaai Do. He is such a nice guy, so sweet, so secure about his craft, that is something I really appreciate in a co-actor.
Tell us about the time you decided to become a climate warrior.
I caní't pinpoint that one moment that changed me. I feel it was inherent Iíve had it since I was a child. Iíve always been bothered by the lackadaiscal attitude people have towards our planet and how irresponsible we all have been. Weíve just not had the knowledge. We were taught about planet conservation and the impact it would have in the future. But for us, the future felt like some 400 years later. But thatís not the truth, itís now. After I became an actor, my reach increased and I could actually formalise the work that I was doing. I brought it under Climate Warrior. The idea was to create as much awareness and do as much groundwork as possible. Iím extremely passionate about this. I think the day my parents named me Bhumi, subconsciously something went off in my head. Iíve been like this since then. Even in school, I was affected by the things that happened around me. I went vegetarian this year. And thatís one of the happiest things that has happened to me.
Apart from you, there are others in the industry who are doing their bit for environment. Whose efforts do you appreciate the most?
Shraddha (Kapoor) for sure. Sheís a very woke voice for planet conservation, and for co-existing with other species. Sheís quite compassionate towards the planet. Alia (Bhatt) too loves animals and is constantly posting about it. She has a property called Coexist that does some good work. And of course, Dia Mirza, whoís so devoted to the cause of the environemnt. Sheís someone by whom Iím extremely inspired. Amitabh Bachchan too does telethons to raise awareness. I think all actors today have become quite woke about their responsibilities towards society, which is good. I feel happy that Iím an actor at a time I can contribute this much.
Now, this is one question all movie buffs want to know What is the progress on Takht?
I know everybody wants to know this, but I feel you should ask Karan Johar. Itís one of the grandest and at the same time one of the most powerful stories that Iíve heard and read. And whatever will happen with Takht will be great. There are people senior and higher up like Karan, who should give you clarity on this.
Loading Next Article...
SHOW COMMENTS