Bhumi Pednekar. Talk to her for ten minutes and you know she’s a true-blue actor. And that’s a good thing. Because filmmakers are increasingly turning away from subjects which portray leading women as dolled up mannequins. And they are doing it because the audience is showing signs of being fed up of mere fluff and want a taste of something substantial. Normal and relatable is the order of the day and Bhumi fits right in the new order of things. We would even be bold enough to say that she has been one of the pioneers of this new normal. She started off by playing a sassy overweight wife in Dum Laga Ke Haisha. And had no qualms playing a sharpshooting grandmother in her last release Saand Ki Aankh. She’s still in awe of movies, of movie-makers. Her replies are forthright, witty and introspective. She’s both wise and foolish, content and hungry. Raring to run, and enjoying the serenity of the lockdown...
What’s your lock down routine like?
Currently, I’m just spending a lot of time with my mom and my sister. Times like these make you realise that there is nothing above the safety of the people you love. I’m reading a lot. I’m going through my school history books. I’m trying to understand programming because computers have always been so alien to me. I’m studying climate change because that’s something dear to me. And I’m cooking. One day my mom and sister gave me so much attitude. I wanted banana bread and I was like I’ll do it myself. I’m not dependent on you guys anymore. I followed the recipe and I baked banana bread and since then I have not looked back. (Laughs) Now I’m Bhumi the baker. And I’m working out.
Do you feel there are too many don’ts in your life than do’s as an actor?
It’s been four years and eight outstanding films. And the reason I could make this space for me is because my first film was a big don’t. No one could have imagined that there could be a film about a beautiful, overweight, firecracker of a girl. l just jumped into it. I was seventeen when I joined YRF. I don’t come from a film family. Everyone thought I was crazy. My family couldn’t help me. I just took my chances and look -- you and I are having this conversation right now...
It’s interesting that you addressed the topic of body shaming because our movies constantly play up to a stereotype of a pretty, fair, perfect body.
Not just the showbiz. It involves years and years of social conditioning. Luckily, when
I joined cinema, there was a movement against stereotypes. I feel happy that I could be part of the revolution and now I feel good celebrating my flaws on celluloid. It has made me a confident person. Now I don’t care if I’m a couple of kgs heavier. There was a phase when I was shooting for Sonchiriya and people were like, ‘Oh my God, you look so thin, you look sick.’ I was
like it’s my choice, I’ll do what is right for my character.
It changed you how?
I met this girl Khushi, who plays Sonchiriya. She is like a younger sister, a daughter to me. She comes on all my film sets. I’ve been so fortunate that through her I made a family of 250-300 children in the ashram from where we cast her in Morena in Chambal. Those children have become part of my life. And that switch from being a self-centered person to somebody who actually cares about others happened because of that girl. I am a young woman, right? How did I develop such strong maternal instincts for someone? But that girl transformed me. She started living with me and brought such happiness in my life. I love her. I speak to these children every Sunday through a whatsapp video call. The experience that Khushi had while shooting for Sonchiriya has changed her life as well.
Tell us something about your prep work for the role.
Currently, I’m just spending a lot of time with my mom and my sister. Times like these make you realise that there is nothing above the safety of the people you love. I’m reading a lot. I’m going through my school history books. I’m trying to understand programming because computers have always been so alien to me. I’m studying climate change because that’s something dear to me. And I’m cooking. One day my mom and sister gave me so much attitude. I wanted banana bread and I was like I’ll do it myself. I’m not dependent on you guys anymore. I followed the recipe and I baked banana bread and since then I have not looked back. (Laughs) Now I’m Bhumi the baker. And I’m working out.
Do you feel there are too many don’ts in your life than do’s as an actor?
It’s been four years and eight outstanding films. And the reason I could make this space for me is because my first film was a big don’t. No one could have imagined that there could be a film about a beautiful, overweight, firecracker of a girl. l just jumped into it. I was seventeen when I joined YRF. I don’t come from a film family. Everyone thought I was crazy. My family couldn’t help me. I just took my chances and look -- you and I are having this conversation right now...
It’s interesting that you addressed the topic of body shaming because our movies constantly play up to a stereotype of a pretty, fair, perfect body.
Not just the showbiz. It involves years and years of social conditioning. Luckily, when
I joined cinema, there was a movement against stereotypes. I feel happy that I could be part of the revolution and now I feel good celebrating my flaws on celluloid. It has made me a confident person. Now I don’t care if I’m a couple of kgs heavier. There was a phase when I was shooting for Sonchiriya and people were like, ‘Oh my God, you look so thin, you look sick.’ I was
like it’s my choice, I’ll do what is right for my character.
Let’s talk of two roles you did last year, which shattered stereotypes - Sonchiriya and
Saand Ki Aankh
Saand Ki Aankh
My selfish motive of doing a film is personal growth as an actor, a great opportunity that is going to showcase another side of my talent, the greed to work in a good story and with good directors. And then comes all the other social fringes that are attached to that. Yes, I am a proud feminist and I’m trying to use my craft to bring about change. I’ll start off with Sonchiriya. I am a huge Abhishek Chaubey fan. I have loved all his films especially Ishqiya and Udta Punjab. He called me right after Shubh Mangal Saavdhan. That year was so amazing. I got calls from Zoya (Akhtar), Karan (Johar), Abhishek (Chaubey ) and I was like wow, thank God. I met him and he gave me a story narration. I was like I have to do this. I had a few questions like at my age, do I want to play a mother to a fifteen year old? Everybody was like why go to small-town India again? But I knew in a film like this and with a director like Abhishek Chaubey, he was going to keep at it till I sparkled. It was a different world and what my character did, what she stood for, the kind of courage she had, I was blown away by her. And she barely speaks in the film. It was a challenge and he did tell me that it was going to be tough both emotionally and physically. Sonchiriya changed my life.
It changed you how?
I met this girl Khushi, who plays Sonchiriya. She is like a younger sister, a daughter to me. She comes on all my film sets. I’ve been so fortunate that through her I made a family of 250-300 children in the ashram from where we cast her in Morena in Chambal. Those children have become part of my life. And that switch from being a self-centered person to somebody who actually cares about others happened because of that girl. I am a young woman, right? How did I develop such strong maternal instincts for someone? But that girl transformed me. She started living with me and brought such happiness in my life. I love her. I speak to these children every Sunday through a whatsapp video call. The experience that Khushi had while shooting for Sonchiriya has changed her life as well.
Tell us something about your prep work for the role.
My diet changed. I was on a carb-heavy diet. I completely stopped eating meat. I had to carry this kid and run throughout the film. My trainer would give me a backpack that was about thirty-thirty five kgs and I would run barefoot carrying that. I would go in the morning to Abhishek’s office. The courtyard there was turned into a village. There was a chulha and I would get the upli, I would go pick up dry sticks to make that fire. One day he got me fifteen kgs of akkha Haldi that I had to grind into powder. I’d use the chakki to make aata everyday. Then I’d cook for everyone on that chulha. And then I would go for my physical training. I learnt the Bundelkhandi language, it’s very different from Hindi. Abhishek changed my craft. Usually they say that your eyes speak a lot but Abhishek said you are an expressive person, just cut it down. We would wake up at 4 am and walk for kilometers. There were mosquitos and insects. There was nowhere to go to the bathroom, you had to hold it in, there was no option.
Was it a surreal moment for you holding the Filmfare trophy for Saand Ki Aankh?
You heard the three minute speech that I gave. I was so overwhelmed. It was special also because I don’t think I’ll ever be part of a film like Saand Ki Aankh again, where I feel so happy sharing the stage with my sister-in-arms. You know that notion that two actors can’t be friends is all bullshit because for a film like Saand Ki Aankh it would have felt incomplete without Taapsee. A lot of people asked me why do you want to play an old woman on screen? Are you crazy? This is the peak of your career. When I do a film like Saand Ki Aankh, it comes at a cost. Me saying no to many other bigger films.
Do you regret saying no to any film?
I get a mix bag of offers. I had a big-ticket film as well. But when I chose to do a film like Saand Ki Aankh, it’s, as I said earlier, for purely selfish reasons, for my personal growth. And what I’ve achieved from Saand Ki Aankh, even a big-ticket film couldn’t have done for me. I want to leave behind a legacy of good cinema and I know Saand Ki Aankh is part of that list. I know Sonchiriya is part of that list. Yes they didn’t make hundred crores. But i could never own a hundred-crore film, like I own these films. It comes with a cost but it’s ok.
Any of your colleagues’ roles that you’ve seen recently that you wished you’d done.
Definitely Gully Boy and I’m not going to say Alia’s part. I’m going to say all of them from Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Siddhant Chaturvedi to Vijay Verma -- all of them. That film is outstanding! I loved Kapoor & Sons. I’m not going to pick one specific performance because I envy all good performers. I watched Thappad yesterday, all of them have done fantastic jobs. And I loved what Ayushmann did in Article 15. I would love to do a film like Article 15.
Was it a surreal moment for you holding the Filmfare trophy for Saand Ki Aankh?
You heard the three minute speech that I gave. I was so overwhelmed. It was special also because I don’t think I’ll ever be part of a film like Saand Ki Aankh again, where I feel so happy sharing the stage with my sister-in-arms. You know that notion that two actors can’t be friends is all bullshit because for a film like Saand Ki Aankh it would have felt incomplete without Taapsee. A lot of people asked me why do you want to play an old woman on screen? Are you crazy? This is the peak of your career. When I do a film like Saand Ki Aankh, it comes at a cost. Me saying no to many other bigger films.
Do you regret saying no to any film?
I get a mix bag of offers. I had a big-ticket film as well. But when I chose to do a film like Saand Ki Aankh, it’s, as I said earlier, for purely selfish reasons, for my personal growth. And what I’ve achieved from Saand Ki Aankh, even a big-ticket film couldn’t have done for me. I want to leave behind a legacy of good cinema and I know Saand Ki Aankh is part of that list. I know Sonchiriya is part of that list. Yes they didn’t make hundred crores. But i could never own a hundred-crore film, like I own these films. It comes with a cost but it’s ok.
Any of your colleagues’ roles that you’ve seen recently that you wished you’d done.
Definitely Gully Boy and I’m not going to say Alia’s part. I’m going to say all of them from Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Siddhant Chaturvedi to Vijay Verma -- all of them. That film is outstanding! I loved Kapoor & Sons. I’m not going to pick one specific performance because I envy all good performers. I watched Thappad yesterday, all of them have done fantastic jobs. And I loved what Ayushmann did in Article 15. I would love to do a film like Article 15.
What would be a good pickup line and a bad pickup line to woo you?
Listen, people have stopped using pickup lines. The world has become very boring now.
You have not been in a relationship for a long time?
Not in the last few years.
Why is that?
You’ve seen the films I’m doing. I’m in Chambal, Haryana. I don’t have time.
You don’t mind dating a co-star or director?
It’s very simple. Firstly, it’s me plus two other women in my life. So the man who can handle the madness that the Pednekars come with, is more than welcome. But I don’t think there’s anyone so ballsy whom I’ve met yet.
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