17 July,2024 09:00 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Bhumi Pednekar
Bhumi Pednekar will turn a year older on July 18, 2023. Bhumi is known for her stellar range and versatility across her filmography. On the actress's 35th birthday, we dive into 5 of her must-watch films.
1. Dum Laga Ke Haisha
Bhumi Pednekar starred opposite Ayushmann Khurrana in her feature-film debut. The movie, set in 1990s Haridwar, touched upon themes of family, body shaming, and the politics of arranged marriage in India. Bhumi gained a lot of weight for this unconventional role and gave a powerful performance.
2. Thank You For Coming
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'Thank You For Coming' revolves around five friends and their tryst with the concept of female sexual pleasure. Besides Bhumi, the film also stars Shehnaaz Gill, Kusha Kapila, Dolly Singh and Shibani Bedi. Actors Anil Kapoor and Karan Kundrra have a special appearance in the film.
3. Toilet: Ek Prem Katha
Bhumi Pednekar starred opposite Akshay Kumar in 'Toilet: Ek Prem Katha.' The film follows country bumpkin Keshav and progressive Jaya, who come together from neighboring villages to join hands in marriage. However, Jaya threatens to leave her husband on the first day after she learns he does not have a toilet in the house. This striking narrative contests practices of open defecation in India and brings a new lens to sanitation, superstition, and public health.
4. Bala
Bala is a satirical black-comedy film. The story revolves around the protagonist Balmukund Shukla, a young man from Kanpur who is suffering from male pattern baldness. The film focuses on social perceptions and stigma associated with appearances that do not conform to the 'ideal,' including balding and colorism. Bhumi Pednekar played the role of Balmukund's lawyer, a dark-complexioned girl in the film.
5. Badhai Do
The premise of the film is that of a 'lavender marriage' - where both parties involved enter into a marriage of convenience to conceal the sexual orientation of one or both partners. Badhai Do follows Rajkummar Rao, a gay man, and Bhumi Pednekar, a lesbian woman, who enter into a similar partnership. Bhumi's character has hitherto been pigeonholed into entering a heterosexual relationship and having a 'married' life, despite her focus on her career as a P.T. teacher and her hidden desire to live authentically