This Article is From Apr 01, 2016

Bhumi Pednekar Hopes People Talk About Her Work, Not Looks

Bhumi Pednekar Hopes People Talk About Her Work, Not Looks

Bhumi Pednekar photographed in Mumbai.

Highlights

  • Bhumi gained 30 kg for her debut film Dum Laga Ke Haisha
  • For Bhumi, there's nothing more important to her than her craft
  • She never realised that the film will become as big as it has
Mumbai: Bhumi Pednekar is very happy with Dum Laga Ke Haisha's National Award win. The actress, who made an unconventional debut in the film and was widely lauded for her performance, hopes people's focus always remains on her acting skills rather than on how she looks.

Bhumi had gained around 30 kg for her role in the film, which also starred Ayushmann Khurrana, but post the film, she was back to her usual look. She also feels that the fact thatDum Laga Ke Haisha has been appreciated with the Best Hindi Film honour at the 63rd National Film Awards is a reminder of how commercial cinema is riding high on quality content.

"Last year has been so brilliant for me, and it has been a clean sweep as far as awards are concerned. The icing on the cake has been the National Award, so I can say that it has been a great year for me," Bhumi told IANS.

"It's very humbling to see that my performance was appreciated a lot and that's what I am proud of. There is nothing more important to me than my craft and I really hope that even in the future, apart from the way I look, the only thing that people will speak about is my work and performance," she added.

Bhumi says her debut film was a "small little underdog film" from Yash Raj Films, one of India's biggest movie production banners, but the audience enjoyed it.

"However, I didn't ever realise that the film will become as big as it has. I think it's all our hard work," she added. The Sharat Katariya-directed film was set in the Nineties in Haridwar.

The film tells of how a unique romance blooms between a mismatched couple, challenging the prejudices in a middle class family of choosing a bride. (Also Read: Bhumi Pednekar is 'Dying' to Play This Role Onscreen)

Other films that have been chosen to receive National Film Awards include Bollywood entertainers and box office biggies like southern magnum opus Baahubali: The Beginning, which was named Best Feature Film. The Best Actor prize was given to Amitabh Bachchan for Piku while Kangana Ranaut has been named the Best Actress Award for Tanu Weds Manu Returns.

Bhumi is happy to see commercial cinema doing great at award functions.

"That is a great thing to see. In 2015, some big actors did the so-called parallel and smaller films. Also, there are many smaller films making a lot of money and becoming big. So, it has been a great year. I feel that very soon there won't be any division between different kind of films and it's all going to be one," Bhumi told IANS.

She also feels that with actors ready to experiment with roles, lines have been blurred between "commercial and art films".

"It is really good to see that commercial films are having good content now and that's why it is being recognised, and we (Bollywood) have dominated the National Film Awards," she said when asked to share her views on Bollywood films sidelining regional cinema at the 63rd National Film Awards this year. (Also Read: Bhumi Pednekar is a 'Hungry Actor.' She Wants to do 'Credible Work')

As for her future projects, Bhumi is looking forward to Manmarziyan with Ayushmann.

"We have finished the first schedule of the film, and will start the second schedule in July. I am extremely excited and hope that we put in the same amount of hard work and honesty to recreate the same magic again," she said, adding that the film's second schedule will be shot in Chandigarh.

The actress walked for designer label SVA at the ongoing Summer-Resort edition of Lakme Fashion Week and she looked like a diva.
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