Criticised for calling herself 'Hero' of Durgavati, Bhumi Pednekar says the term is gender-neutral
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; December 30, 2019)

As Bhumi Pednekar took centre-stage among a group of high-profile men while announcing her next, Durgavati, it was evident that the makers were encouraging a power play that hadn't been seen in cinema, so far.

Even though all that the actor hoped to establish was that she would be the protagonist of the Akshay Kumar-backed thriller, a select few didn't take too kindly to her decision to refer to herself as the film's 'Hero'. They cited it as a means to negate the role played by women in cinema.

But, having battled a fair share of criticism on social media, Pednekar isn't easily frazzled by naysayers. "People need to look at the terms 'hero' and 'heroine' in a gender-neutral way, and not from the lens of Bollywood. If someone asks me who my 'hero' is, I'll say, it's my mother. I wouldn't call her the 'heroine' of my life, would I?" Pednekar asks. Even though the actor revealed that she will commence shooting the horror film soon, she isn't willing to discuss details pertaining to the movie, just yet.