Bhumi Pednekar

Born on 18 July 1989 in Bombay, Maharashtra, India, Bhumi Satish Pednekar comes from a family with Konkani and Haryanvi roots; her father Satish Pednekar was a former MLA and Home and Labour Minister of Maharashtra, while her mother Sumitra became an anti‑tobacco activist after her husband’s death from oral cancer. She attended Arya Vidya Mandir in Juhu and, at fifteen, secured a study loan to enroll at Whistling Woods International, though she was later expelled for poor attendance. Within a year and a half she joined Yash Raj Films as an assistant casting director, repaying the loan and spending six years under Shanoo Sharma, which gave her an insider’s view of Bollywood’s casting process. Her early exposure to film production shaped her pragmatic approach to acting, and she began transforming her own physique for roles, famously gaining twelve kilograms for her debut as an overweight bride in Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015). The performance earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut and marked the start of a career defined by portrayals of resilient small‑town women. She subsequently appeared in Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017), Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017), and the biopic Saand Ki Aankh (2019), where she embodied septuagenarian sharpshooter Chandro Tomar and won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress. Her versatility shone in commercially successful ventures such as Bala, Pati Patni Aur Woh, and the socially charged Badhaai Do (2022), the latter earning her a second Critics Award and a Best Actress nomination. Beyond the screen, Pednekar is an outspoken environmentalist, leading the UNDP‑backed Climate Warrior campaign and serving as India’s first National Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals in 2023. Her activism, combined with a reputation for immersive preparation—ranging from weight changes to firearms training—has solidified her status as one of Bollywood’s most dedicated and socially conscious performers.