Bhumi Pednekar admits she’s made to feel like ‘number two’ in films with male co-stars, says ‘there was just no insecurity’ on the sets of Thank You for Coming

“Orgasm in this film is a metaphor”

Thank You for Coming has created a buzz with its party songs and sexual references. But Bhumi explains what the film really stands for. She says, “Our film is not male vs. female kind of a film. It is against patriarchy. It comes from a very inclusive space. Whoever has followed our promotional journey knows that this film is not about man vs. woman. Orgasm in this film is a metaphor. Our film is against patriarchy, and patriarchy is not gender specific. It’s a way of thinking. It’s a school of thought people believe in. It is conditioning. It is about generational conditioning. The film is about all these things. The film is very fun and comedic. People will step out of the cinema halls feeling happy. It conveys a lot of profound things while making you laugh.”

“There’s always a feeling that the man is more superior”

Bhumi is one of the most successful female stars in Bollywood today. When asked how different it feels to be a part of a film with an all-female cast, she sighs in relief and says, “There is just no insecurity here!”

She explains, “Previously, there was always a feeling that the man is more superior. It is like, you do anything, be anywhere, and I’ve always felt like number two. It’s never been the same footing (with the male lead), whereas here (on Thank You for Coming), we all are on the same footing. It’s just safe and secure. I’m not made to feel bad about answering extra questions (more than the male co-star). Yeh sab hota hai (such things happen). Here, all of us girls have a space to talk. We all have a space to be in a bad mood. We all encourage each other, laugh, cry. Our guards are actually down. I am genuinely just living right now, and I feel so supported by these women. I really hope I can be a support to them as well because right now all our energies are focussed on getting people to watch the film. We want this to be a movement.”

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Bhumi then revealed why no male star would star in a film like Thank You for Coming, a film backed by Rhea Kapoor. She shares, “We’ve been harping on the fact that there was a lot of equality on set. I used to have many conversations with Rhea. I would ask her, ‘What would you do if you have heroes in your film?’ And she would say, ‘They wouldn’t do my film because I would want to pay my men and women the same.’ So the equality stems from there. You know how we have promoted this film. We’ve been frontfooted all the while — on shows, city tours, we even reached Canada (for TIFF). I have promoted this film like I have promoted any of my multi-crore-club films with a male co-star. We’ve gone all out. The tone of this journey of Thank You For Coming was set in a way that at no point we were made to feel that ‘Oh, this is a women-led film’. I have promoted many films, but I have always found only myself saying all these passionate things, whereas others would be so passive. Here, all the women were so passionate, and I had fun. People then term me as a feminist. I am feminist, and you should be too.”

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“I watch reruns of Sex and the City”

From the moment Thank You for Coming was announced, it has been called the Indian version of the iconic television show Sex and the City. While it is not, Bhumi shares how she revisits the show every time she is “down and out,” and elaborates on the need to have well-made chick flicks.

 

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“I still watch Sex and the City whenever I am feeling down and out. From when I was very young, those four women gave me a lot of strength. Looking at them, I feel like their lives are a mess, my life is a mess, but we’ll be fine at the end. You’ll see this representation in this film as well.

“Women who like having a good life, who take good care of themselves, who enjoy female friendships, like going out, partying, doing whatever, people end up labelling them, ‘Oh she’s so easy’ or ‘She doesn’t have substance’. We five are women, and we take very good care of ourselves. We’ve made a life for ourselves. We are independent, self-made women, and that’s the representation you’ll seen in the film. We are sick and tired of people telling us ‘because you have an opinion and a life, you are difficult,’” Bhumi concludes.