Bhumi Pednekar on things that have changed since her debut and what made her take up the role of a character in her next that is twice her age
Hiren Kotwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 3, 2019)

The first thing that strikes you about Bhumi Pednekar is that she’s a complete contrast to the rooted-in-the-heartland characters she’s played. She admits that it’s a challenge for someone born and brought up in Mumbai. “Playing an urban city girl is like makkhan,” she quips, as she gears up for another small-town outing. Chandro Tomar from Baghpat, her character in Saand Ki Aankh, with sister-inlaw Prakashi, holds the record for being the world’s oldest women sharpshooters. That prompts the first query:

Had you heard of the Revolver Daadis before the film came to you?
I know of them as my mother is from Haryana and when they started shooting in ’97, they took a lot of people by surprise. The first time I saw them was on Aamir Khan’s chat show, Satyamev Jayate, and their story was inspiring. They had literally lived under the veil for around 60 years, had 40 children amongst them in a family of 80, toiled in the fields, in brickworks, made dung cakes and taken care of the kids. Then, they had stepped out of their comfort zone to take part in a competition sport which pitted them against retired police commissioners and army officers. Phew!

What’s the first thing that struck you when you were offered the film?
That a story like this can get into the rona-dhona zone. But I quickly discovered that despite living under patriarchy, Chandro and Prakashi are women who had led happy, fulfilled lives. The change happened because they didn’t want their granddaughters to have the same lives. Their achievements show us it’s never too late to pursue dreams.

Neena Gupta and Soni Razdan believe older actresses should have played these characters...
Casting is the filmmaker’s prerogative, and while I respect the opinions of Neena ji and Soni ji and those on the social media, I hope they will change their minds once they see the film. For me, playing Chandro daadi, who’s double my age, was the opportunity of a lifetime. Our stalwarts are the legends they are today because they took on such challenges.

What traits of the feisty daadi have you incorporated?
Chandro daadi is an intelligent woman who learnt English from listening to people around her. She doesn’t snap back during an argument but her response is a lesson in itself. While playing her, I also channelised my own naani, a Haryanvi Jat. The way they talk and walk, their habits and strengths are alike. I lost my nana on the day of the trailer launch; this film is my tribute to my grandparents who, having seen life, know it’s pointless to stress.

The daadis started shooting at 60, what would you do at that age?
I’ll serve humanity in some way. Age is just a number, life and change begins when you want it to. The daadis are 87 today and tireless, be it on the social media or at events. I’ve never heard them say they are tired. I want to celebrate life in the same way.

For your debut film, Dum Laga Ke Haisha, you’d put on 30 kg. Would you take up the challenge today?
No, I wouldn’t put on so much weight because I don’t have the time to knock it off. It took me a year to gain weight for Dum Laga Ke Haisha and another year to lose it. Logistically, I can’t do that now, but for SKA, I did add on 10 kilos to look convincing as an old woman.

Are you worried about gaining weight?
I’m very health conscious, it took a lot of hard work to shed the weight I’d put on for this film, more so because 10 days after I wrapped up Saand Ki Aankh I began filming Bala. Fortunately, all the goodies the daadis treated us to were organic, there’s no milavat in their lives.