Bhumi Pednekar: I enjoy doing social dramas, I like having impact with my work
Actor Bhumi Pednekar talks about her recent release Bhakshak and working in several social dramas, and the OTT medium.
Basking in the success of her latest OTT release, Bhakshak, actor Bhumi Pednekar is overwhelmed to see the film getting a “thrilling” response. “It has been such an amazing experience as the film has travelled globally, too,” says Bhumi, adding, “I have been translating messages that I’m getting on Instagram and they have come from such diverse audience this time.”
Recalling the response to her debut Dum Laga Ke Haisha that recently completed nine years of release, the actor adds that she’s feeling the same frenzy with Bhakshak as she experienced with her first film. “This is a different kind of impact, and universal love. That’s the beauty of art, I’m over the moon and full of gratitude. This is something that I really needed,” adds the 34-year-old.
Having done socially relevant films such as Toilet - Ek Prem Katha (2017), Badhai Do (2022), Shubh Mangal Saavdhaan (2017), Bhumi emphasises her commitment to characters and roles that resonate with audiences and leave a lasting impression. “It’s not a bad box [doing films with a message] to be in, but I also enjoy doing social dramas. It’s also about the choices that I make and not what comes my way. I like having an impact with my work. Even if my film does not have a strong social message, my character would always be empowered. Even if it’s not the story, the character would lead behind something strong,” she elaborates.
The Thank You For Coming (2013) actor further talks about starring in back-to-back releases that are poles apart from one another. Revealing an interesting anecdote, she tells us, “The funny thing is that I finished Bhakshak and immediately started Thank You For Coming. It was the opposite way, so my state of mind after Bhakshak was healed by shooting Thank You For Coming, because shooting for it was a heavy and dark experience. If it wasn’t for a comedy chick flick, it would have taken me more time to come out of it. I make sure to give my 100% to any role that I do, be it peppy or intense.”
Bhumi advocates for diversity in her career choices, acknowledging that not every project will find universal appeal. “I feel like we should be able to do all genres. Maybe everything will not find a 100% audience. I have always experimented in my career and I always like different things, and it happens that sometimes only a section of people like some experiments, not everyone,” she says, adding that she has never cared about mediums as such, and her career trajectory has seen a fair mix of big screen and OTT releases.
“It has become a conscious choice now, to keep a balance between OTT and theatrical releases. There are certain films that need a digital release, where the film can be released with care and tenderness, and it can purely be judged on how good the content is. For me, both mediums are extremely important, wherever my film finds my audience,” she says.
However, Bhumi expresses concern about the growing pressure on box office performance, which isn’t the case in case of streaming. “The times have also changed. It doesn’t matter for an actor where the film releases. In case of a theatrical release, the pressure is a lot more now, because unfortunately, a film is judged by the numbers it does, which wasn’t the case until a few years ago. In fact, even if a film didn’t earn big bucks, it would find its audience and would be critically acclaimed. But now, the whole energy around a film changes if numbers are not that good and I feel that’s bad. Filmmakers and actors shouldn’t be stuck in the number game,” concludes the actor.