Bhumi Pednekar opens up on her desire to do pan-India, global films

Actor Bhumi Pednekar says she will continue to concentrate on films that interest her irrespective of the length of her characters as her goal is to star in pan-India movies. From the onset of her journey in Bollywood in 2015 with Dum Laga Ke Haisha, the 33-year-old actor said she has always given importance to well-rounded characters.

"I have never had a plan. I have been lucky that quality work has come my way and I have lapped up  every opportunity that I got," the actor, known for films like "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha", "Shubh Mangal Saavdhan", and "Bala", told PTI in an interview.

"People see the number of scenes they don't see the scope of what you can do with that character. I will continue to do films that I want to do. I want to do every kind of cinema, I want to do pan-India, global work, I don't know where it ends, she said.

Her latest film is Sudhir Mishra-directed Afwaah, which revolves around the theme of standing up against dangerous rumours and the impact they can have on people's lives. The movie hit cinema halls Friday. 

In the film, also starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bhumi plays Nivedita, a daughter of a politician, who she describes as an ambitious girl. She asserts the role is closer to her real self.

I wanted to do a thriller with this tonality that had something to say, besides the character really excited me. For me it is a genre breaker. I have never played a girl, who is extremely head strong, arrogant, super ambitious, a girl full of desires. She is somebody closer to my ideology. I wanted to see what I do when I play somebody who is close to me in so many ways, the Badhaai Do actor said.

Besides, Bhumi boarded the cast of Afwaah to work with Siddiqui, from whom she learnt the importance of living in the moment and that eventually helped her enhance her performance.

I have been an admirer of his (Siddiqui) work; I would hope that there would be something where he and I could collaborate. It was directed by Sudhir sir, so this felt like a perfect fit. As an actor, he is for the moment, whether that moment is for his or my character, that doesn't matter. I loved that so much," she said.

Ask her about actors being subjected to scrutiny and rumours, Bhumi said it is part and parcel of the job and she has learned to deal with it over the years.

Rumours exist in every individual's lives. I have seen it happen on a micro level in families... Because our life is public, there is a lot of agenda as well when it comes to spreading rumours about an actor. Whether an actor is spreading it themselves or somebody else, it is part and parcel of what we do. It is unfair but you just learn to deal with it, she said.

Afwaah also features actors Sharib Hashmi, Sumit Kaul, Sumeet Vyas, TJ Banu and is produced by Anubhav Sinha under his banner Benaras Media Works.