The learning opportunity for Bhumi Pednekar

Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Bhumi Pednekar

Challenging stereotypes as she goes along, Bhumi Pednekar, who was last seen in Badhaai Do, is thrilled about her next film Afwaah. While the quirky thriller had her intrigued, it was the opportunity of working with Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Sudhir Mishra that truly brought her onboard. "I have waited long for an opportunity to work with Nawaz sir. He is a stalwart in cinema and one of the best actors in the country. I am going to learn so much from him," she says, adding, "[Working with] Sudhir sir [has always been] on my bucket list. I think he's an actor's dream director."

Sudhir Mishra

Set to be shot in Alwar, Rajasthan, in the summer, Afwaah comes with a social message, something Pednekar has always steered towards. A source says, "[This] is perhaps one of the most challenging and powerful roles of Bhumi's career. It's a layered character that gradually unfolds as the screenplay unravels."

Pednekar, who also has The Lady Killer, Anubhav Sinha's Bheed, Shashank Khaitan's Govinda Aala Re and Raksha Bandhan in the pipeline claims that she picks characters that have a bit of her in them. "[My characters] are women who stand up for themselves, and I find them aspirational. I want to break every kind of stereotype. Cinema is a powerful medium and if used in the right manner, it can be inspiring. I want to leave behind that kind of legacy."