“One thing that pisses off every woman is casual sexism.”: Actress Bhumi Pednekar

Actress Bhumi Pednekar is back on screen with the horror flick, Durgamati: The Myth. The film was released by OTT, and Bhumi sees the change as a boon in the wake of the current Covid-19 pandemic.

“It’s a boon. Frankly, we’re living in such tough times. Otherwise, we used to see you (the media) on a regular basis. As a filmmaker, our role is to entertain people, and in such an era, if my film is released in 200 countries, and if it can entertain people in their homes, then there’s nothing great.

In Durgamati, Bhumi plays IAS officer Chanchal Chauhan, who is framed by a corrupt person of authority. The plot is woven with an element of horror, as Chanchal is possessed from time to time by the spirit of Durgamati.

Asked if she has ever turned into Durga in real life, she said, “There are a lot of instances when I turn into Durga but there is one thing that p*sses off every woman and that is casual sexism.”

Asked about female actresses being presented as the lead in Hindi films lately, she said: “I am thankful to God that such kinds of films are being made. It is happening because of evolved people like Vikram (Malhotra) sir and Akshay (Kumar) sir who have produced this film. Earlier, too, many actresses have been a part of really good female-oriented films and actresses of my generation are carrying forward their legacy.”

She added, “I feel there is still a gap when it comes to presenting female actors as the main lead in mainstream films but I am glad that day by day, it is narrowing down. We will do many more films like these in future and it is just the beginning.”