It feels good to be recognised, says Bhumi Pednekar

From playing Ayushmann Khurrana’s overweight feisty wife in Dum Laga Ke Haisha to his svelte and slim significant other in the forthcoming Bala, Bhumi Pednekar has come a long way in just four years.

Has it been easy? Bhumi clears her throat, pauses and answers ‘no’ with a  laugh. “Of course it hasn’t been easy. It’s never easy for an actor who doesn’t have connections in the film industry and who has to start from scratch. Of course, I am from Mumbai. But, no one in my family is from the film industry and to be now doing the kind of films that I want to, on my own terms, that’s quite something for me.”

Bhumi’s roster of roles is indeed impressive. “I am working with directors whom I consider to be among the best talent we have. Whether it is Alankrita Shrivastava (Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare), Anurag Kashyap (Saand Ki Aankh), Amar Kaushik (Bala) or Mudassar Aziz (Pati Patni Aur Woh)… these are the directors I believe in as much as they believe in me”

Bhumi is also very proud of her last film Sonchiriya. “Agreed it didn’t work at the box office. But, I believe Sonchiriya is a film that will be recalled with much pride and respect for many years from now. We all worked very hard to make it a special work and the director Abhishek Sir is a genius.”

The actress who exuded a Smita Patil kind of earthy passion in Sonchiriya says, “To be compared with Smitaji, that’s a huge compliment. For me, every role that I pick has to take me to a place where I haven’t been to before. I am proud to be associated with films that allow me to portray characters at the grassroots. Women, especially in rural India, have to undergo such suffering and pain. It is important for our cinema to address their pain, anger and  frustration.”

In her next release Saand Ki Aankh, she again plays a rustic character, triggering off speculation on her background. “I don’t mind being seen in a certain way as long as I get to play roles of substance. And, I am not talking about the footage I am provided. In Gully Boy, it was all about Ranveer Singh and the boys but look at how Alia Bhatt created her own space in the narrative. That’s the kind of impact I want to create. People should remember my characters, not the number of scenes I had in every film. I hope to leave a legacy behind.”

However, despite such strong roles, Bhumi says she is open to playing a typical singing-dancing heroine. “Like I said, I am a Mumbai girl. I would love to play an urban working girl.”

But, for now, Bhumi is sharing screen space with Taapsee Pannu in Saand Ki Aankh and they get along like a house on fire. “This is a film about female empowerment, sisterhood and kinship. It was very important for both us to get along. Luckily we hit it off from day one.”