Exclusive: Bhumi Pednekar: “Vanity has a great role to play in our films”

Bhumi Pednekar didn’t exactly take the conventional route into acting. However, last year she wowed in her debut film ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’ in which she was seen opposite Ayushmann Khurrana. As Pednekar has bagged most of the best debut female awards for her performance and has completely changed her appearance in the year since release, industry folk and fans seem to be highly impressed by this newcomer. She has signed her second film in which she will be sharing the screen with Khurrana once more but in a totally new avatar.

BizAsia had the opportunity to talk to Pednekar as she takes stock of the last year and looks forward to starting her second film.

First and foremost, congratulations for all the debut female awards that you�۪ve won. How does it feel?

Well, it all feels very rewarding. I feel very, very happy and excited for starters but at the same time it�۪s an extremely humbling feeling. It�۪s kind of given me the confidence to believe in my craft and know that the only way you can do something right is to really be working hard . So I know that my risk has paid off, and I�۪ve started to believe in my instinct more, as it�۪s the only thing I had when I did ��Dum Laga Ke Haisha�۪.

Would you say that�۪s you’ve had a good start or would you say that you�۪ve still got so much more to do and a long way to go?

Oh absolutely. I didn�۪t really ever think that people would accept me the way they did. Those acceptances have been great, especially from the audiences. They have loved the film and they have loved my work, and even generally the industry, the people that I�۪ve worked with, my colleagues, everybody; the response they�۪ve had towards the film and towards my work has been very positive. But I definitely have a very very long way to go in terms of my work. I�۪m still so new, I�۪m still trying to discover myself, I don�۪t know what I did in ��Dum Laga Ke Haisha�۪, it was just a fluke. Everything is so new for me, so I�۪m just taking baby steps, I�۪m just taking each day as it comes, and I hope that they�۪ve accepted me by now.

You�۪ve come from a casting background at Yash Raj Films, and in some of your recent interviews you have said that it�۪s given you a good grounding for your acting career. What has been the most challenging thing you�۪ve found as part of the transition?

I was auditioning people for so many years when I had to do the same things, I made the same mistakes that any other actor auditioning would do, and I didn�۪t think that I would make those same simple mistakes. But also what happens is when we auditioned, there were a lot of scenes from different films from the past, and those performances have been so remarkable that they have an impact. So the biggest thing for me was that most of the time I was the hero in the audition, so I started delivering my lines like a boy (laughs). I remember Sharad my director telling me ��Mat karo Parineeti Chopra, don’t be Anushka Sharma, please Bhumi.�۝ And I�۪d feel like am I really acting like them, you know they were so great in their respective films that somewhere, subconsciously, has an affect on you. So I guess that was the most challenging part, especially when I was being auditioned for the film.

Well saying that, are there any films that you�۪ve seen in the recent years where you think ��I would like to do a film like that�۪ or ��I�۪d like to step into that character�۪ especially with women-centric films?

Oh my god, so many, especially in 2015 which has been such an amazing year. I feel like for films it�۪s been a game changing year for our cinema. But I think, ��Rang De Basanti�۪ (2006) was a film that I really wanted to be in. I really wish it gets remade and I get to play a part in it. But there have been quite a few, ��Zubeidaa�۪ (2001) is one of my favourite films, speaking of female oriented films firstly. I think Karisma Kapoor was fantastic in ��Zubeidaa�۪, and speaking of recent times; ��Piku�۪ (2015) which was one of my favourite films of the year. But I don�۪t know if I can do it better, but I�۪d love to be a part of a film like ��Piku�۪.

There�۪s been a lot of talk about your look that has changed since you did ��Dum Laga Ke Haisha�۪. Farhan Akhtar recently said that being in acting and having an audience is something that motivates him to stay fit. What has motivated you to stay fit and what motto did you use when you were losing weight?

Honestly, it was just my dream to do any role that I want. Unfortunately there aren�۪t very many roles written for plus size women in India, and that was a very big insecurity I had. I don�۪t ever want to be bound by only a certain type of role that I can do. So my biggest motivation was just my career, just to be there and not let anyone put brackets around me. It was something I had to do because I wasn�۪t my natural weight, I�۪d gained a great amount of weight to fit my role. So naturally my body was caving in and I had to get back to Bhumi. I had done Sandhya, it was time for me to detach myself from her.

You�۪ve also said in some of your interviews that you don�۪t believe that size zero really exists anymore. But for a new heroine and those who debut in these times, do you think there�۪s more pressure to look good?

I mean, vanity has a great role to play in our films. We can�۪t deny it, we can�۪t behave like that doesn�۪t exist, so that�۪s something that I�۪m aware of as well. But I feel with the pressure there�۪s been a change in the way people think in India, where fitness is concerned, over the last few years. In the past, people had just wanted to be skinny and super thin, today people want to be fit and it�۪s not only girls that join the industry, it�۪s also generally. I mean me and my sister – who has nothing to do with the films – work out equally. So yes, there definitely is a pressure but I feel that�۪s also changed because of the kind of scripts that are coming forward. Today we believe in realism, today our audiences are enjoying films that they can connect with. I feel that�۪s the only reason my film worked as well, because today writers are picking up characters and films are being made that are inspired by real life situations and real life people. Nobody is perfect, everybody has their flaws. Some people are overweight, some people are really skinny; you know everybody has a complex that they�۪re dealing with. We have the beauty of our films today where people are tapping into those complexities and turning them into beautiful cinema and it works.

You recently received an award specifically in the social film category, despite only having done one film. Do you think you�۪d like to stay in the social film genre?

When I did ��Dum Laga Ke Haisha�۪ I never really looked at it as a film that really has a social message to give, that wasn�۪t the agenda. It was a simple film about two people with complexes. But, no, I think I would want to do different kinds of films. As a person I�۪m someone who is really motivated by a social message, and who believes in doing a lot for the society, so maybe that aspect of my personality would push me to do more meaningful cinema. But at the same time I like being entertained. I like entertaining people and, as an actor, that�۪s what I want to do. But I�۪m so new I still need to figure out what I want, but I feel I want to do it all; I want to dance, I want to do films where I�۪m not dancing, I just want to do whatever I can. There such a short time I have and there�۪s so much to do, so I guess whatever good comes my way.

You�۪re about to work with Ayushmann Khurranna again, who is the epitome of multi-talents, are there any hidden talents of yours that we can expect to come out in the next few years?

Well I do have a few hidden talents, I’m still polishing them. I don�۪t know I might come out with something, but nothing like that. I think Ayushmann�۪s just blessed. I mean who can sing, and dance, and act and do it all, that�۪s insane. That�۪s way too much talent for me to handle.

Unfortunately, we��didn’t��have an official release of ��Dum Laga Ke Haisha�۪ here in London, however, there are many who did catch the film on TV, and absolutely loved you. Is there any message you�۪d like to give your fans here in London?

Yes on Netflix as well. I have people wishing me all the time, because they’ve watched the film on Netflix.

To my fans I just want to say I really love them and thank you for appreciating my film and my work. It really means a lot – every tweet, every comment on my Instagram that I get it just motivates me, because these are the people that should enjoy your work. I’m glad that they are and I�۪m extremely grateful, and have a lot of gratitude. I wish I could come and hug all of you wherever you are, but unfortunately I can�۪t. A big big big kiss.

BizAsia thanks Bhumi Pednekar for taking the time to talk to us.