Bhumi Pednekar on why being slotted in small-town screen turns isn’t restrictive
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 12, 2018)

Riding high on the success of her last two releases, the Akshay Kumar-starrer Toilet: Ek Prem Katha and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan with Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar is in a happy space. In April, she wrapped up Abhishek Chaubey’s Son Chiriya and admits Shekhar Kapur’s Bandit Queen was a reference point for her prep but won’t reveal if she’s playing a dacoit in this film.

“I prepped for three months, getting the dialect and body language right, but there’s more to my character than just placing her in a certain region. When I started shooting in the Chambal ravines in January, I didn’t know what to expect as we haven’t seen much of the terrain in films, with the exception of Bandit Queen and Paan Singh Tomar. It was a surreal experience,” the 28-year-old actress reminisces, pointing out that while the landscape is harsh and arid, there’s also hope, serenity and beauty. “It was one of my toughest films, but all of us would look forward to the shoot. I was motivated by Sushant (Singh Rajput) and Manoj (Bajpayee) sir, they’re phenomenal!” she says.

She also heaps praise on former costar Akshay, saying, that she found a life coach in her hero who made her understand that along with success and stardom, money and power, one needs to be grounded, dedicated, happy and respectful towards people. “He taught me some big life lessons and is a great role model.”

Her mentor, however, is her Dum Laga Ke Haisha and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan co-star Seema Pahwa who schooled her for her debut film and enriched her as a person. “I love her,” Bhumi adds.

Point out that while she’s known for her histrionics, she’s also got slotted as a small-town girl on screen despite the glam pictures she’s been posting on the social media from her recent vacation in the US. Taking the criticism head on, she says, “As an actor, I want to try everything and I’m sure I will at some point. And while all my characters so far may come from the same social stratum, they have all been diversely different. I’m a Mumbai girl and had never lived in any small town till my first film happened. Playing a city girl will come naturally to me.”

Bhumi put on 28 kg for her debut love story, knocking off all the extra weight in just six months later on. She laughs that with all that ‘shape-shifting’ experience, she can easily pursue an alternative career as a dietician or a nutritionist. “Gaining weight was emotionally tough as I couldn’t tell anyone about the film and they were wondering if I was eating too much because I was depressed. Losing it was equally difficult as I had to cut myself off from everything, be on a strict diet and work out a lot. I didn’t want to lose out on a role because I couldn’t ‘fit’ in,” she reasons.

Talking about new projects, buzz is, she’s bagged Anurag Kashyap’s sports drama Womaniya which is about two real life shooters, also featuring Taapsee Pannu. She suddenly turns reticent, saying shortly, “There is a lot happening this year but I like the filmmakers to make the announcements. It’s all pretty grey right now.”

Meanwhile, Aanand L Rai’s Manmarziyan, planned with Aayushmann and her, ended up with Taapsee Pannu, Abhishek Bachchan and Vicky Kaushal. She has no regrets. “It’s a great script and I’m glad the film is finally complete. I’m excited to watch it. I got to do Shubh Mangal Saavdhan with Aanand sir and I know we’ll re-unite for another film. Our sensibilities match and I look up to him. Maybe they can make a sequel to Shubh Mangal... so Ayushmann and I can complete a hattrick,” she laughs.

Apparently she’s found an admirer in Sanjay Leela Bhansali? Bhumi agrees that SLB has been showering love on her since her first film and that they have been in touch. “I’ve been his diehard fan since Khamoshi and with every film, I’ve loved him even more. Hopefully I will get a chance to work with him someday,” she says.