Bhumi Pednekar: Hope February is lucky for me again

Bhumi Pednekar

Actors are deeply attached to their every film, but some projects become dearer to them than others. For Bhumi Pednekar, Bhakshak is one such movie. She counts Pulkit's directorial venture, which is apparently inspired by the 2018 Muzaffarpur shelter home case, among her most important films and wants it to be a success. She believes that the Netflix release already has a factor going in its favour - a February release. "For me, the month of February has been special ever since my debut as an actor," she smiles.

Is it a coincidence, good luck charm or superstition? One can't tell. But Pednekar's movies that released in February have been successful. She points to her debut film, Dum Laga Ke Haisha that hit the screens on February 27, 2015. The actor reflects, "Dum Laga Ke Haisha got me so much love and acclaim that it cemented my position as an envelope-pushing actor in the industry. I couldn't believe the outpouring of appreciation, and I will be forever indebted to my first film for giving a dream start to my career."

Stills from Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Bhakshak, and Badhaai Do. Pic/Instagram

Her other February release was director Harshavardhan Kulkarni's Badhaai Do (2022) that beautifully explored lavender marriage. Pednekar counts it as a "game-changing film". "We openly celebrated the LGBTQIA+ community and their rights. It was also special for me because I was vocal about something I truly believed in. The praise, the countless Best Actress awards and the opportunities that were unlocked because of Badhaai Do is stuff that dreams are made of."

Will Bhakshak, which drops online on February 9, follow suit? The actor hopes so. The gritty crime thriller sees her as an underdog journalist taking on a powerful person who exploits young girls at a women's shelter. Pednekar says the movie highlights the rampant crimes against women. "It is one of the most important films that I've done, and I hope that the project, my director and I get the same amount of love that I had received for Dum Laga Ke Haisha and Badhaai Do. I hope February is lucky for me again."