Bhumi Pednekar: Playing the kind of woman I idolise

Deeming Daldal as one of her most challenging roles, Bhumi says she was drawn to her cop character’s traits of ambition, resilience and shattering the glass ceiling

Many feelings accompany the start of a project. Some feel excited, while others are nervous. How is Bhumi Pednekar, who began shooting for Daldal on June 1, feeling? Challenged, yet confident. “I have started shooting for the project, and I can already tell you it will be one of my most challenging roles ever. Daldal is one of my most special projects for many reasons,” she says.    

The actor began shooting Daldal on June 1

One of the obvious reasons is that the Prime Video offering marks the actor’s web series debut. The thriller, an adaptation of Vish Dhamija’s book Bhendi Bazaar, sees her play Rita Ferreira, a cop pursuing a serial killer in Mumbai while she struggles to prevent her life from falling apart. While portraying a cop for the first time was a draw, Pednekar says Amrit Raj Gupta’s directorial venture also gave her a character that she identifies with—a strong woman who shatters the glass ceiling. “Rita is an achiever, a glass-ceiling breaker, and a rewriter of rules in a man’s world. She is ambitious and ferociously passionate about her job. This is the kind of woman I idolise. Headlining such a series on a global streaming platform will help me show the strength and resilience of Indian women to the world. I want people to remember and celebrate our women because they play a huge [role] in shaping society, and they have every right to follow their dreams.”

To Pednekar, the on-screen representation of women has been a criterion while choosing projects. It was evident in her last release, Bhakshak, in which she essayed the role of a small-town reporter who uncovers a case of children’s sexual abuse at a shelter home. “It has been an exciting year for me—from Bhakshak becoming a hit, to me finding disruptive projects like Daldal. If you look at my filmography, I have been fortunate to find projects that help me portray strong, independent women. Dum Laga Ke Haisha [2015], Shubh Mangal Saavdhaan [2017], Lust Stories [2018], Bala [2019], Badhaai Do [2022], Saand Ki Aankh [2019], and Bhakshak reflect what I think when it comes to portraying Indian women on screen.”

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