Hope people always talk about my work, not looks - Bhumi Pednekar

A National Award for “Dum Laga Ke Haisha” has left Bhumi Pednekar rejoicing. The actor, who made an unconventional debut as an overweight woman and was widely lauded for her performance, hopes people's focus always remains on her acting skills rather than on how she looks.

Bhumi had gained around 30 kg for her role in the Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer, but post the film, she was back to her slim and trim avatar. She also feels that the fact that “Dum Laga Ke Haisha” has been appreciated with the Best Hindi Film honour at the 63rd National Film Awards is a reminder of how commercial cinema is riding high on quality content. “Last year has been so brilliant for me, and it has been a clean sweep as far as awards are concerned. The icing on the cake has been the National Award, so I can say that it has been a great year for me,” said Bhumi.

“It's very humbling to see that my performance was appreciated a lot and that's what I am proud of. There is nothing more important to me than my craft and I really hope that even in the future, apart from the way I look, the only thing that people will speak about is my work and performance,” she added.

The Sharat Katariya directorial, set in the 1990s in Haridwar, tells of how a unique romance blooms between a mismatched couple -- an overweight woman and uneducated man -- challenging the prejudices in a middle class family of choosing a bride.

As for her future projects, Bhumi is looking forward to “Manmarziyan” with Ayushmann. “We have finished the first schedule of the film, and will start the second schedule in July. I am extremely excited and hope that we put in the same amount of hard work and honesty to recreate the same magic again,” she said.

Source: IANS