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Bhumi Pednekar hasn\u2019t been on the screen since her much-criticised turn in Netflix India show The Royals last May. While the series has been renewed for another season, Bhumi has revealed that the harsh criticism towards her performance affected her to an extent that she had to take a nine-month break from acting immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a lot of trolling, a lot of bots. But between all of that, there was a lot of constructive criticism as well. And that was one experience that got me to take some really drastic decisions for my life in 2025. One of them was taking a break. I didn\u2019t announce it because I didn\u2019t want to dramatize it,\u201d confessed Bhumi.<\/p>\n
She claimed that she\u2019d been constantly at it for 10 years since her memorable debut as Sandhya in Sharat Kataria\u2019s 2015 romantic drama Dum Laga Ke Haisha. She gained 30 kg to play that part, and physical transformation for her roles has been a constant endeavour since then. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about physical transformation<\/a>. It\u2019s also about what you go through emotionally and mentally every time you prepare for a character,\u201d added Bhumi in the interview with The Hollywood Reporter India.<\/p>\n \u201cI had become emotionally depleted. I\u2019d completely lost perspective of who I am as an actor, as a person, who is Bhumi. So, I had to step back, and in that noise, I had to find people who were my well-wishers who had truly something constructive to say,\u201d said Bhumi. She then introspected about what the next 10 years of her life are going to look like.<\/p>\n \u201cI took a break. I haven\u2019t been on a set since June. Many a times, when an actor admits to that, there\u2019s a lot of negative connotation attached to it. But it was something I did voluntarily, and it\u2019s the best decision I\u2019ve taken for myself,\u201d added Bhumi. She watched movies, read books, took a course at Harvard University, and travelled extensively to build on her bank of life experiences.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t have any real experiences left in me that I could extend to my craft. And that scared me. One of the biggest fears I always had was I don\u2019t ever want to be mediocre, and I think I reached there. It was important for me to accept that and not be in denial. Because I know what I\u2019m capable of doing. I went back and watched some of my work because I was lost. I was like, can I actually act? Do I have it in me?,\u201d confessed Bhumi.<\/p>\n She learnt that she just needed to stop taking what she had for granted. \u201cI had become numb to other people\u2019s experiences because you live in a bubble. It\u2019s very important for every actor to get out of that bubble. That experience shook me. I\u2019m very happy and fortunate that people watched it (The Royals). Something good came out of it. But the best thing that came out if it was that I reconnected with Bhumi as a person and Bhumi, the actor,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Story continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Bhumi recalled that her travels across the last year have been as much about road trips where she\u2019s discussing \u201clives, politics, and health issues\u201d of people she meets at tea stalls as much about exchanging notes with young actors in Los Angeles. She also spent time with her family, worked on her physical and mental health,<\/a> and worked on her business Backbay, a premium, eco-friendly natural mineral water brand she started with her sister Samiksha Pednekar.<\/p>\n Bhumi revealed that she\u2019s going back to set after nine months this March with her first courtroom drama. \u201cIt\u2019s about sexual violence that women and marginalized communities go through. It\u2019s a theatrical film. I\u2019ve been working on it for the past two months. I can\u2019t wait to be on a film set,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The Royals actor added that she took a break immediately after the release of the show last May. \u201cI left movies. I had to return signing amounts. I had to say no to a cheque, which is a lot. It was not just about not doing the films, but reducing my presence in the world of media. So, it was saying no to a lot of award shows and fashion events. I wanted to just cut off. I wanted to go through that experience of what it feels like to just be by myself. If I was to lose everything, will I survive? And I know I will survive,\u201d she claimed.<\/p>\nWhat did Bhumi do in her break?<\/h3>\n
Bhumi\u2019s return to acting<\/h3>\n