Bhumi Pednekar is happy with the impact her film Sonchiriya has created, though the box office collections left a lot to be desired. “The film is a male-dominated film because it is a dacoit drama. But it has so many people who are evolved minds. Director Abhishek Chaubey's commentary is very relevant. I loved the fact that he took on an action-packed narrative to speak about these things. I come from a family where I have been empowered. But Indumati, my character, never had that option. So the film is very different from the character I am in real life. But she takes fantastic steps to come out of her ghoonghat and does incredible things. I have learnt a lot from that character. When I finish a film, something from the character stays with me. I have become a nicer person after every film I have done,” says Bhumi.

The actress has often been seen in unconventional roles. “None of the films that I have been part of have seen me in the role of a conventional leading actor. And it is a great time for an actor trying to experiment. I am constantly trying to push my boundaries and break the mould that has been made for leading actresses and it is such great fun. I have been extremely fortunate to have gotten the parts I have played,” admits Bhumi saying that she wants to carve her own path. “I want to always break stereotypes. It is fulfilling as an actor to be able to do that, especially when you see people and the audience loving it. After every film, my email id, my Instagram and Twitter are filled with messages. And it is not from just women but from men who are evolved enough to understand that women are their equal counterparts. It is very fulfilling when they say that a film has affected them and the kind of impact it had on their personal lives, is very, very fulfilling,” she says. Bhumi feels that women need to empower themselves. “We need to be aware of our rights and have to have the courage to call out the injustice in our ecosystem. There are so many men and boys in the family who do not believe in gender disparity,’ she says.

— Sanskriti Media