Bhumi Pednekar: I wasn’t body shamed for Dum Laga Ke Haisha; rather got appreciation

There’s always a buzz around actors who lose or gain weight for films and actor Bhumi Pednekar created quite a buzz when she put on extra kilos for her debut film Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015). Given how showbiz isn’t open to the lead female actor being overweight, Bhumi was reportedly body-shamed for the film. However, the actor dismisses these reports and says that she rather received a lot of praise for her role.

“I was never body-shamed for [my debut] Dum Laga Ke Haisha. On the contrary, the audience appreciated my character in the film. I will always cherish the love and respect that I received from the audience. I felt overwhelmed and motivated,” says Bhumi, who reportedly lost 27 kg for her upcoming film Toilet: Ek Prem Katha.

Besides her upcoming film, there were a couple of other reasons why Bhumi decided to lose weight. In an earlier interview with HT, the 27-year-old actor had spoken about the health issues she had faced, when she was overweight. Along with this, she realised that there wasn’t much scope for plus-size women in films, and hence she decided to work on her body.

“I was a regular Indian girl who would wear large and medium sizes… But with the added weight, I couldn’t restrict myself as an actor… We don’t have a lot of great scripts written for plus-size women. I’m content with the way I am right now. I’m not skinny, and I like that,” she was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Bhumi is busy promoting her upcoming film that highlights the issue of open defecation in rural India. Talking of her character, Bhumi says it is completely different from what she played in her debut film. Hoping that it will touch a chord with the audience as it highlights an important social issue, the actor adds, “Jaya [in Toilet: Ek Prem Katha] is totally different from Sandhya in Dum Laga Ke Haisha, so I am getting this feeling that I’m getting re-launched with this project. I am excited to see how people will accept the film and the social message it conveys.”