Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 2, 2017)

It’s been a great year for Bhumi Pednekar with two back-to-back successes — the Aanand L Rai produced Shubh Mangal Saavdhan and the Akshay Kumar-starrer Toilet - Ek Prem Katha. Now, Mirror has learnt that she’s not the only Pednekar making waves in B-town. Bhumi’s mother, Sumitra Hooda Pednekar, is all set to make her debut as a producer with the comedy-thriller, The Journey Of Bhangover. The film marks the directorial debut of Mahinder Singh Saniwal who has co-produced the film with his wife Meenakshi. It features an ensemble cast of newcomers, including Yashpal Sharma, Hemant Pandey and Jaideep Ahlwat.

Prod the dotting mom on why her actress-daughter isn’t making an appearance in the film and Sumitra says it’s because Bhumi is terribly busy with her own projects and has no time. “But a film featuring her and produced by me will happen soon too,” she asserts, adding that the Pednekar girls will always be associated with quality content which sends out a positive message.

Set in the scenic locales of Uttarakhand, Haryana and Punjab, Sumitra was keen that the local flavours of the Northern states, including the language, practices and beliefs be retained in this journey of five friends. That was another reason she didn’t bring Bhumi on board. “It was important to get the nuances right so the five characters are played by debutantes (Prerika Arora, Aradhya Taing, Anmol Khatri, Jimmy Sharma and Palash Soni). New faces add freshness to a project,” Sumitra reasons. Haryanvi actress and this season’s Bigg Boss contestant Sapna Chaudhary makes a special appearance in the film too.

“The film follows youngsters getting into a sticky situation after consuming bhang. The minute Mahinder finished the narration, I wanted to be a part of the film,” says the anti-tobacco activist, who’s been yearning to do something creative and cinematic for a while. “It’s a great time for small, indie films that are fun and non-preachy,” she signs off with a smile.