Bhumi Pednekar is 10 films old after the release of Badhaai Do, which has opened to positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. In an exclusive interview with mid-day, the actress decodes her process of getting into the skin of her characters, owing the space of comedies juxtaposed with social messaging, and why February is a special month in her life.
What are the questions you’re tired of answering during film promotions and interviews?
(Laughs) I’m never tired of answering any questions during interviews. If it’s a film like Badhaai Do, the questions asked are so important that I’ll be more than happy giving all the answers. When it goes into mundane questions like ‘Any pranks happened on sets? How was it working with each other?’ I just feel these are just generic questions. But we really enjoy when people ask us questions about the film and the process because that’s what brings our cinema out.
With films like Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Bala, Saand Ki Aankh, we all saw how your prep was like. But when you play a character like Suman, when you address homosexuality, what’s the process like as an actor?
It’s a very internal process. My process cannot involve me where my sexual preference changes. That’s not possible. From a very young age, I’ve had queer friends, I’ve been a part of their life, their journey, their ups and downs, the times they have cried and the times they were strong. I’ve kind of lived that life with them. There was a lot of energy that I channelised into Suman. And by the end of the day, your characters are made up of some of your own life experiences and that’s exactly what I did.
As an actor, you are owning the space of comedies that are accompanied by a message. In future, if you’re offered such films that really excite you, how will you ensure that the performance or the milieu doesn’t feel repetitive?
That’s the challenge I’m bestowed with. I always strive to play my characters differently and I work very hard on it, there’s a lot of work that goes into it. 10 films down, touchwood Badhaai Do is my 10th film and in these films I never had anyone turn around and tell me that I was the same. That really comes with my directors help me push my boundaries and me being as aware as I can of not being repetitive. But I’m never going to shy away from content that has a message and that is entertaining. Thank you so much for saying I have started owning the space (Laughs).
On the 27th of February, it’s seven years of Bhumi Pednekar and seven years of Dum Laga Ke Haisha. Excited?
February is a very special month for me. You know right around this corner the trailer of Badhaai Do dropped and this is the same month when Dum Laga Ke Haisha released so I’m experiencing that feeling again. The kind of love Badhaai Do is getting, the last time I felt that in abundance was with Dum Laga Ke Haisha. My character was truly celebrated and it feels like nostalgia. It feels like I have lived this before.
When that film was about to release, you were making your debut and Ayushmann Khurrana was going through a rough patch in his career. What was going through your mind a day before?
I was very very confident of the film. I’ve never understood commerce. I just know when a film is good and when a film is not. A good film is going to go down in history and always be remembered, it’s always going to find viewers to watch it. I was always confident we have made something special but I was nervous of course since it was my first film. You don’t know whether you’re going to be accepted, whether your work is going to be appreciated. But that’s normal, I have those butterflies even today.
What is the best compliment you’ve received for the film?
I think the best compliment has to be from the LGBT community. What was most important for us as a team was acceptance from them. So many people from the audience said this is the first time they have found the representation in Hindi Cinema. I don’t think there can be a bigger compliment than that.
