Image from Facebook page of Dum Laga Ke Haisha
When you think of a heroine from a Yash Raj film what are the first things that come to mind? An ethereal woman, clad in a chiffon saree, preferably white, romancing her hero in sarson ka khet or the Swiss alps?
She dances like a dream - like Madhuri Dixit or Karisma Kapoor from Dil To Pagal Hai, or even Anushka Sharma from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. And certainly does not have to worry about things as mundane and real as her weight.
Meet Bhumi Pednekar, who is the latest Yash Raj find. She makes her Bollywood debut in Dum Laga Ke Haisha, opposite Ayushmann Khurrana.
Bhumi is breaking all stereotypes. Here are some:
1. Bhumi Pednekar weighs 85 kgs. Remember the last time you saw an 'overweight' heroine? Not in the last 30 years. Considering the role demanded an overweight female lead, you would think this will be Bhumi's only film, right? Wrong. She has signed a three-film contract with Yash Raj films.
2. In the usual Bollywood movie, the hero always falls in love with the girl who is seen before she is heard. He chases, she says 'No.' He continues the chase till she finally relents. In this movie, as the trailer shows, Bhumi's husband Ayushmann is just not interested in her. So, her mother explains to her "If he is shy, you make the first move. Ask him to show you an erotic movie." And, she does.
3. Alia Bhatt describes herself in her Twitter profile as "Beautifully chaotic :)", Nargis Fakhri is a "Global Citizen" and Jacqueline Fernandez says, 'Actress.' Bhumi Pednekar who goes by the handle @psbhumi on Twitter, says she "wants to be a future leader".
4. Pednekar was NOT a model. Before Yash Raj Films spotted Anushka Sharma, she was a model. Before Vaani Kapoor bagged a role in Shuddh Desi Romance, she was a model. Katrina Kaif was a model, Deepika Padukone was a model. Modelling has for years been the road to enter Bollywood for most of our leading heroines. Bhumi has been part of YRF for a while now; she was assisting casting director Shanoo Sharma. She was part of the casting crew for Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma in Band Baaja Baaraat and also for Rani Mukerji's Maardani.
5. Not very often will you see an actress debuting at the age of 30. Pednekar does. Director Yash Chopra offered Poonam Dhillon a role in the film Trishul when she was 16. Tulip Joshi was 21 when she was offered her first movie--a YRF banner--Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai. Anushka Sharma was 20 when she debuted in YRF's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.
In the movie Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Bhumi plays the role of a 22 year old looking for a 'man who respects her and is okay to look at'. She then gets married to Ayushmann Khurrana and the story is about how she tries to get him interested in her.
Dum Laga Ke Haisha is directed by debutant Sharat Katariya and will release on 27 February.