Bhumi Pednekar, who is credited with taking the correct decisions to portray women better on-screen, thanks yesteryears phenomenal leading ladies for ushering in the change for heroines on screen. Talking about it, Bhumi said, “Through all the eras of cinema, there have always been films that have stood out for progressive portrayal of women. Even in the 90s, cause I am a 90s kid, be it ‘Rangeela’, ‘DDLJ’, ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ – there were movies which had women play strong characters. A massive change had already started before I became an actress and it definitely helped me. Jaya ma’am, Shabana ma’am, Smita ma’am, Sridevi ma’am, Hema ma’am and Rekha ma’am – they have all done some wholesome cinema and contributed greatly towards how women were portrayed on screen.”
Asserting that she feels today’s audience doesn’t just look at a heroine to add glamour on-screen, she said, “As a female actor, I am not just expected to be in a film just to add glamour or to be in a song or to be an object of admiration. There is a lot more that I am contributing to a film. I feel women today are at a much better place and in a much better position to command respect for their craft.” Bhumi added, “Kareena Kapoor has done a ‘Chameli’ and a ‘Fevicol Se’, if you look at the choices of actresses today, you will see that everyone is being so different and diverse and that’s just amazing. Today, people expect something from an actress like me and tha’s my brand of cinema, my credibility, and I’m grateful for the responsibility that audience has placed on me.”