Important for your art to resonate with times we're living in: Bhumi Pednekar

Mumbai: Whether it was playing an overweight teacher in her film debut "Dum Laga Ke Haisha" or a closeted lesbian in "Badhaai Do", actor Bhumi Pednekar on Thursday said she has always supported films that have a message to convey.

For the actor, it's important for artists today to stand by their belief system.

Pednekar said doing "Badhaai Do", a film exploring challenges faced by same-sex couples, was "one of the best decisions" of her career.

"I feel the times we're living in... it's very important to stand by your belief system. It's important for your art to resonate with the times we're living in.

"Any of the films I've loved and appreciated for, I feel they've worked because they have the right balance of entertainment with a bit of a message," she said during a session at FICCI Frames 2023 here.

Pednekar, 33, said the quintessential Hindi film actor has undergone a change over the years, adding she has always supported films that have more to say beyond entertainment.

Citing the example of Abhishek Chaubey's dacoit drama "Sonchiriya", the actor said the length of a role does not matter as long as she is part of an interesting story.

"I've actually experienced it with a film like 'Sonchiriya' when I entered it at the 45th minute. Everybody was like, 'Why would you do this film? There are like 11 male actors,' and I literally had nine scenes in the film. But, there was just something about working with that director or being a part of that story. I saw an opportunity," she said.

Recounting the process of gaining weight for her debut film "Dum Laga Ke Haisha", Pednekar said people would often come up to her and ask "What's wrong with you?" "There's so much stigma to the way one looks globally, not just in our country. People actually came up to me and asked, 'Is everything okay at home, are you unhappy?'

"They relate weight gain to that. Why can't I be a happy girl who's enjoying her process through life and loves food, enjoys food, why can't I just be that? Anyhow, I channelised a lot of that energy into 'Dum Laga Ke Haisha'," she said.

About her role in the Akshay Kumar-starrer "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha" was like a "re-debut", the actor said, adding she witnessed a "change in mindset" after the film's release.

"We had all government agencies try their best with the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. When 'Toilet' came out, we saw that change in mindset. It was played in every little village, and when people saw it, they thought, 'It's my right to have access to sanitisation, good sanitary health'.

"We're very proud that post the film, we saw such a massive change, and it was globally celebrated. That was the first time I realised the power of cinema, (that) it can influence a large number of people," Pednekar added.