Heroines Bring More Than Glamour to Films Now: Bhumi Pednekar

‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’ actor Bhumi Pednekar is happy that Bollywood is finally telling stories about women. 

Photo courtesy: Viacom 18 Motion Pictures

On her Bollywood debut, Bhumi Pednekar played an overweight educated woman, who speaks up for her rights. In her second film, she plays a woman who stands up against open defecation. The Toilet: Ek Prem Katha actress says it's a conscious decision to take up films where she shares equal space with male actors, as she feels heroines are no more "a mere tool of glamour" in movies.

Gone are the days when heroines just needed to be a puppet and a mere tool of glamour in films. Now is the time (when) characters need to be made around girls and women because, honestly, they are the ones either suffering or celebrating at the moment, because after a very long time we are finally seeing some sort of change in the society and in the film industry. I’m just glad that such movies are being written.

Bhumi Pednekar, Actor

The 27-year-old actress feels it's high time that women took centre stage in movies, and she is happy that the change has started setting in.

Having started her career with Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Bhumi said that she is determined to only do those roles which allow her to contribute to a film. But are roles in the Hindi film industry limited for a female actor?

Things are changing because since <i>Dum Laga Ke Haisha</i>, all the films that were offered to me, at least most of them, were films where I had enough to do, or films where I was equally important. I am not saying that I need to be the centre of every film. But I just need to be given the kind of respect my male counterpart is being given in the story.

Bhumi Pednekar

Before trying her hand at acting, Bhumi was assisting Shanoo Sharma, the casting director of Yash Raj films (YRF), that produced Dum Laga Ke Haisha. She credits her behind-the-screen experience for her journey.

I don’t know if it has given me an edge over other actors, but that phase of my life has enriched my craft. I met so many directors, I understood scripts better because I read them, I was casting so I was doing a bit of acting and directing every day with other actors.

Bhumi Pednekar

Bhumi will be seen in RS Prasanna’s directorial Shubh Mangal Saavdhan next, which deals with erectile dysfunction. What attracts Bhumi towards issue-based films?

I think nowadays your message (matters), and concept-driven films are commercial successes. So I would like to say that I am a part of commercial successes. It’s so good to know that all the films that are doing well are high on content and that’s the way it is going to be in the future. I am already a part of future masala films.

Bhumi Pednekar

The kind of films that attract Bhumi are content-driven, about interesting characters and things that are hatke.

All the films I have done till now are love stories, and I think love stories are the most <i>masala</i> commercial films. I am happy that I can do films that balance out both the worlds really well.

Bhumi Pednekar

Bhumi has also been roped in for director Abhishek Chaubey’s next film (after his critically acclaimed Udta Punjab). The project reportedly revolves around Chambal dacoits and is set in the 1970s.

(With inputs from IANS)

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