“I am nothing like the characters I play!”
n her first appearance on silver screen she was obese, with minimum make up and a very awkward stance. She bagged all the awards in the debutante category. Since then, she has emerged as a powerhouse of sorts. With movies like Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Shubh Mangal Savdhan, Sonchiriya and more recently Saand Ki Aankh
and Bala - Bhumi Pednekar has secured a position of high esteem in Bollywood. But if you think she is cushy in her current position you would be mistaken. The debates around her recent releases could have certainly put a dent in her halo, yet she admits she doesn’t give a damn about what others have to say. She will simply keep doing what she is meant to do. With such confidence and sense of surety, Bhumi seems very unlike any industry outsider you might chance upon.
There is a marked difference between actors who have been born and brought up in the industry and those who haven’t. To begin with, there is an aura around the insiders that tells you that they are on home-ground, whereas an outsider would always be just that – an outsider. No amount of success converts that awkwardness. Yet, when Bhumi Pednekar walks into the room you cannot help but feel her ease. She is someone visibly comfortable in her skin and in her profession. What gives her this sense of homeliness? Is it her initial success, or the fact that she had been working with the industry prior to being an actress? Or is this inherently Bhumi?
Tell me is your success seeping in? You have had two hits consecutively – Saand Ki Aankh and Bala…
I am not someone who thinks in terms of box office figures and such; I am just glad that I am getting the kind of films that I have always wanted to be a part of. Believe me, had Bollywood not really changed in terms of
content, an actor like me would never really have found work, Which in my terms is a success beyond the measure of anything I would have dreamt of…
Doesn’t all the talk about miscasting bother you?
When I signed Dum Laga Ke Haisha, I was nothing like Sandhya. Definitely not the obese girl I was to play, does that mean I should not have signed the film? It takes guts to play someone so much older than your age, to dress like that, look like that, go sans make-up on-screen when your face will be blown 100 times its size. But you do it for the love of cinema.
I’m an actor. It’s my job to transform into different characters. I respect people’s opinion, and I did take a step back to think about what they were saying. But I think I will continue to pick such roles because I like challenging myself. And let’s not forget that there simply aren’t enough meaty roles written for women.
You did put your body through a lot gaining 30kgs…
It was worth every kilogram. (laughs) I didn’t know if there would be offers for films post Dum Laga ke… but gaining all that weight and giving my best was something I wouldn’t compromise on.
Your earlier statement about ‘women not having enough meaty roles’, do you think it still stands through?
There is a section of movie makers that are making films about regular people, people who live amongst us and are not in any way larger than life. I believe the audience is loving seeing a part of them on silver screen. Of
course, there are still films being made by those who think the hero alone should be the be-all and end-all of the film! If according to them it works, well that’s their perspective.
But if you see the kind of films that have really been spoken about in 2019, you will see names like Andhadhun, Raazi, Uri, Bala and so many more… these are not stories about larger than life people, these are stories about
regular people who cry and laugh and fear like the person next to you.
Patni, Patni Aur Woh, your latest, seems pretty run of the mill, it is surprising to see you opt for something so commercial….
Well, I always believed that I wanted to do all kinds of roles. If you see the film, you will know it is going to be an enjoyable watch. I want to do every-thing, look at one of the biggest superstars of our industry – Akshay
Kumar. I really admire him for being able to blend in such a variety of cinema. He feeds his soul as well as his pockets (laughs).
But sometimes playing to the gallery can get a little too thoughtless, like the big brouhaha that surrounded the ‘Balatkar…’ dialogue in Pati Patni Aur Woh!
It was not us being thoughtless, it is not a senseless comic caper of a film. Pati Patni Aur Woh has some great moments of laughter but not really at the cost of hurting someone. Yes, I understand where the objections are coming from and if we have hurt someone’s sentiments, I would like to apologize. It wasn’t our intention at all.
We heard you had some reservations before signing the film…
Yes, I did have some queries, I needed to know how the subject would be handled and many other things. After innumerable discussions with the makers and the director, all my doubts were flushed out. It is a situational
comedy, it’s very empowering to both the genders, and there is nothing black and white. I think the makers have been conscious to make sure that they do not turn this into a sexist commentary. This film is not that at all. Beautiful things go wrong easily, but the moment I read it, I understood it. I decided to play the part. They have been sensitive and careful, and it’s been a really big achievement.
Did you see the first Pati Patni Aur Woh?
Actually, there have been many films which are pretty much on the same lines. For instance, Biwi No 1 was a huge inspiration for me while I was preparing myself for Pati, Patni Aur Woh. Karisma as a simple bahu to
becoming the firecracker in the film had bowled me over and she was my most definitive reference point to nail my role in this film!
Why not the Woh?
Simply because I was not offered it.
You think that has something to do with the image you seemed to have built in the films you have made thus far?
A lot has to do with it. Sometimes I feel like going out there and shouting from the rooftops that I am nothing like the characters I play! I am an urban girl and yet I debuted in a film which saw me as a small town girl… the
same happened with some of my subsequent works, so people have this notion that I am a village belle or something!
That gives us only the tip of the iceberg, tell us what Bhumi Pednekar is when the camera is not rolling.
Well, I am a foodie, on my day off I am shuttling between making demands on my mother or heading to the newest joints to appease my tastebuds. Fortunately, I belong to a family of workaholics and I can work 24X7. We’re a bunch of very ambitious women. I’m born and brought up in Mumbai so I have a very set life. When I’m not working, I try and spend as much time as I can with my family and girlfriends or just watch TV, read, do some gardening. My life is pretty simple and basic that way.
No pretty boy keeping you company in this simple, basic life of yours?
Love life for me is a subject that has been on call for hours! I am an expert agony aunt. I am often doling out advice to my girls about the men in their lives. So yes, my phone is my erstwhile companion!
