I was shattered when I heard 'Sonchiriya' script, reveals Bhumi Pednekar

Bollywood actor Bhumi Pednekar says she was left shattered by the commentary filmmaker Abhishek Chaubey has done in "Sonchiriya", from patriarchy to casteism, and feels it's an extremely topical project. Helmed by Abhishek and co-written by Sudip Sharma, the film chronicles the story of dacoits during the time of emergency. "Sonchiriya" had its premiere at a special screening at MAMI, Wednesday night, which was attended by the cast, Sushant Singh Rajput, Bhumi, Ranvir Shorey, and Abhishek along with producer Ronnie Screwvala.

"The first time I heard the script, I was honestly shattered. You have these characters on their journey to find their own truth and through the narrative, Abhishek sir has commented on so many things that are still very relevant and prevalent in our society," Bhumi said at the screening.

The film uses the backdrop of Chambal valley and makes a strong commentary on the inherent casteism and the strong patriarchy which runs deep. For Bhumi, playing her character, which is a victim of patriarchy, was a process of immense introspection. "I started questioning my life. I said, 'I am this city girl. I am opinionated and have a lot of ego. I have power and I am strong.' But there's a huge section of society that still doesn't have the power to say no. The kind of things that happen to my character was so heartbreaking for me.

"What I love the most about my character is that this girl does not know she has opinions or she has any strength but she is pushed to a deep corner where her natural instincts kick in," she added.

Bhumi also lauded Abhishek for weaving the caste divide in the film powerfully. "The narrative that Abhishek sir has used, he has spoken about just the caste bias we have in our country. We obviously don't realise it but it's really deep."

After the screening, the film got a standing ovation. Abhishek said he was glad to see "an almost packed theatre" for the film on which they've been working on for nearly three years. "Sonchiriya" releases on March 15.