Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 28, 2019)

Balancing heartland cinema with masala films, Bhumi Pednekar says 2019 has given her confidence and security. “People’s recognition has instilled confidence in me. My choices have increased; I’ve become more secure, which is natural when you are on the path to achieve what you want,” says the Saand Ki Aankh (SKA) actor.

Success, for Bhumi, is the ability to choose varied roles and get more opportunities. “In personal life, everything is the same. I get shouted at by my mum, my sisters, and I’ve silly fights with them. People appreciate my acting and remember my characters, which is a huge compliment,” says the 30-year-old. This year, she worked with three female actors in her three releases, and had a ball in all of them. “Ananya (Panday), Taapsee (Pannu) and Yami (Gautam) have been amazing. Women have always been secure. I think the notion that female co-stars have cat-fights was started by a group of insecure men. Getting along with someone is about how they think and their personalities. Taapsee and I developed a great bond while working on SKA. She is ambitious, hard-working, and I appreciate these traits,” she explains.

After a high 2019, Bhumi is looking forward to director Alankrita Shrivastava’s Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare. The film was praised in the Busan International Film Festival. “There were 233 films from 80 nations and Dolly represented India. Alankrita is a fantastic person. In the film, I play a 20-year-old girl, trying to figure out life. In the past 13 months, I’ve played from a 20-something to an 80-year-old woman, which is a fantastic. From the beginning of my career, I’ve been fortunate that every film I’ve done, has been a choice, not a compromise.”