If Bhumi Pednekar had to pick her favourite project of the year gone by, it would be an easy choice. Badhaai Do, she would say, in a heartbeat. Harshvardhan Kulkarni’s directorial venture fell perfectly in line with the kind of movies she likes to front — those that hold up a mirror to society, and question its ills. What made Badhaai Do, a drama about a couple in a lavender marriage, all the more special for the actor is that it came from a personal place.

“I have family and friends belonging to the LGBTQiA+ community. While I have been a part of their journey, at times, I have found myself helpless. I didn’t know how to share their pain, love and grief. That’s when Badhaai Do happened. I’m fortunate to have found a script, which enabled me to voice a cause that is close to my heart,” says the actor, as the film completes a year of release today.

Starring Rajkummar Rao and Pednekar in central roles, the comedy drama showed how the intolerant nature of society compels the queer community to hide their identity. Besides batting for queer love, it highlighted the challenges that same-sex couples face when adopting children. While the film may not have made a huge impact at the box office on its release, it won immense praise and love from the audiences when it subsequently dropped on Netflix.

“The film trended worldwide when it was released on OTT, and got so much acclaim. This means that the audiences are accepting what it communicated. People are more aware, and [want to make] India a more inclusive place. I think Badhaai Do would have done so much more box-office-wise, if it had been released [after the pandemic],” states Pednekar.

In the coming months, the actor will be seen in Anubhav Sinha’s Bheed, Sudhir Mishra’s Afwaah, and Gauri Khan-produced Bhakshak, among other projects. While the films belong to different worlds, she says the idea behind each is to make a social impact. “I have great regard for the medium of cinema. Films can have a cultural and social impact, and through most of my movies, I have tried to start a conversation about issues, and look for a realistic solution.”