For an actor accustomed to heightened drama, this role demanded something entirely different. When I meet her during Daldal’s promotions, she appears steady and focused, untouched by the noise around her. Her attention stays firmly on the show, and she speaks with clarity and conviction. She talks about inhabiting a character who speaks little but carries a great deal within and how Daldal explores the long shadow of childhood trauma. Bhumi also opens up about online bullying, admitting that developing thick skin is easier said than done. Spirituality, she says, helps her stay grounded. She also shares her desire to play an out-and-out ‘baddie’ someday, just like Ranveer Singh’s Khilji in Padmaavat. Excerpts:
You’ve been credited as Bhumi Satish Pednekkar in Daldal.
Yes. Including my father’s name felt right. It had been on my mind for a long time. It was definitely a step in my healing. I never really had the space to process what happened with him before. Over the past few months, when I wasn’t working on a film set, I finally had that time. It means a great deal to me.
After completing more than a decade in the industry, how would you define success?
Success today is more about purpose. What is my purpose? Why am I doing films? Why do I love cinema? Earlier, it was about creating a space for myself, making sure I survived. Back then, success meant survival. Today, I don’t have those insecurities. Now it’s about purpose. When I look back at my work two or three decades from now, I need to be proud of it.
I won’t include my first film, Dum Laga Ke Haisha, because it will always be too special. But apart from that, it would be Sonchiriya. That film unlocked something in me, both as a performer and as a human being. It had an everlasting impact on me, something I’m still dealing with. Other pieces of work I’m proud of are Saand Ki Aankh, Pati Patni Aur Woh, Badhaai Do, Badhaai Ho and Bhakshak.
If you could say one thing to the young Bhumi who had just started out, what would it be?
Don’t succumb to the noise.
Was there ever a point where you felt like succumbing?
on it. I’m very positive. I have a lot of love in my life and I’m lucky to be part of a family that gives me so much of it. That makes me strong. But it’s life. You lose a loved one. You see someone you love in pain. Films work. Films don’t work. It happens to everyone.
The past year has been unkind to you, especially after The Royals. You were trolled over your appearance…
Just because we’re in the public eye doesn’t mean bullying doesn’t affect us. You can’t ignore it. I’d be lying if I said you could. Of course, it impacts you deeply because we’re all human. I keep returning to spirituality. I go back to God and meditation. That’s the only way to stop yourself from turning bitter. The moment you start walking that path, everything changes. You realise we are nothing in the universe, just a speck and that gives you perspective. It humbles you.
Can you further elaborate?
Spirituality allows you to surrender. You begin to understand that if something bad is happening, it’s happening for a reason, and the same goes for good things. Somewhere along the way, you stop being overly affected by either. I’m still working on it. I haven’t cracked it yet. It’s lifelong work. But today, at least, I have a medium. Therapy is important. Seeking help is important. Having people you can talk to is important. But spirituality is something I would urge people to explore, especially in the times we’re living in, when all of us are subjected to so much unkindness.
Have you always been spiritual?
I thought I was spiritual until I truly understood what spirituality means. For me, the practice earlier was about giving back and being good to people. That’s always been a big part of who I am. But true spirituality is about surrendering to a higher power. That’s what it means to me, and it has given me immense strength.
What attracted you to Daldal?
The freshness with which Daldal was written really excited me. It’s a very intelligent show. Yes, it’s a cop drama and a psychological crime drama but it doesn’t rely on familiar tropes. It’s deeply character-driven It’s supported by some phenomenal characters and was challenging for me because of how Rita Ferreira is written. She has a lot of duality. There’s one version of her in uniform and another when she’s not, and both exist on the same spectrum, yet feel worlds apart. On duty, she’s earnest and honest. Her job is the one thing she truly loves and deeply cares about. But there’s also a lot of violence within her. She’s volatile, lonely and broken.
Unresolved childhood trauma is a key theme of the series.
Yes. The core theme is how childhood trauma shapes you as an individual. Rita has many of the instincts associated with a serial killer, which is why you’re never sure what she’s capable of. She has immense unresolved trauma and a lot of darkness within her. What excited me was the restraint. I’ve played roles where the drama was very heightened, but here I barely have any dialogue across seven episodes. She’s stoic and tightly controlled because she’s hiding so much. I’ve always been told that less is more and that’s the philosophy the show is built on. You don’t know what Rita is thinking or what she might do, except when she’s angry. She doesn’t know how to control it because she isn’t someone who knows how to receive love.
When you play such an intense character, does it affect you after the cameras stop rolling?
Most of the time, I know how to draw a line. But with a character like Rita Ferreira, it was tough. The series was shot in Mumbai, and the role consumed me. When you have a lot of dialogue, you release so much through words. But with her, I was constantly alert to triggers.
Were there moments when you related to the character on a personal level?
One very strong theme in the show is how patriarchy exists everywhere. That’s something I connected with deeply. Rita is a woman in a man’s world. She’s constantly trying to break the stigma around her gender and is often made to feel that any success she achieves is because she’s a woman, not because she deserves it. That’s something women deal with all the time. The way she responds to it and navigates it is something I strongly connected with.
Do you think the film industry is more liberal towards women?
There is definitely more equality. I won’t paint it as entirely rosy but it’s far fairer than many other industries. And it’s not just about actors. Women are working behind the camera too, writing, producing, directing, performing their own stunts. Is it enough? Not at all. We’re still far from an ideal situation. But things have improved. Today, there are many departments where women can lead conversations, rather than being limited to stereotypical roles.
People have forgotten how hard I’ve worked after Dum Laga Ke Haisha and that I’ve had a long, honest fitness journey. Those assumptions need to stop.
Is there a genre or character you’d like to explore?
I’d love to play an antagonist, an out-and-out baddie. Something like what Sanjay Leela Bhansali did with Ranveer Singh’s Khilji in Padmaavat. It’s iconic.
Also Read: Daldal Trailer: Bhumi Pednekkar Hunts a Ruthless Serial Killer in This Gritty Crime Thriller
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: filmfare.com
