Waking up at 6am on the day of Holi, actor Bhumi Satish Pednekkar
recalls filling up buckets of water balloons to engage in the ensuing festive bedlam. “My sister Samiksha and I would play with our friends from the building (in Mumbai). And my mother would fill buckets of water and pour it on us from the balcony,” the 36-year-old tells us, adding, “We weren’t allowed to use colour, so we played with rose petals and genda phool. And pichkaris, of course!”
She is all set to celebrate Holi with her friends in the city today. “There’s no escaping it! Now, I play with organic colours and I’m constantly telling my friends to fill a large bucket or inflatable mini pools to play,” says the actor last seen in web series Daldal.
To survive these festivities, Bhumi has an arsenal of skincare tips: “ I slather myself in coconut oil, from my ears to my toes. Use nail polish to avoid staining your nails. Another hack I swear by is wearing full coverage foundation; it really protects your skin.”
After creating a riot of colours, the festival is all about indulging in the delicious spread. “The most exciting thing was and still is the food. Feasting on karanjis (gujiyas) is something I still look forward to indulging in on Holi,” she shares.
The actor goes on to say no celebration is complete without her large group of friends and family joining in. She says, “I’m lucky to have a potent personal life where my friends and family are concerned. Every festival is about spending time with them, disconnecting from work, praying and connecting with your faith and people you love.” She adds, “I celebrate festivals in a big way and I’m very ritualistic as well. That’s something I want to pass to the next generation. Growing up, I felt a bit disconnected which is part and parcel of life, when you are younger you don’t understand the meaning of rituals but as I grow older I understand and enjoy it.” She goes on to say as someone who loves fashion she plans every detail of her outfit even on Holi, though it ends up in a mess during the celebrations. “Anybody who knows me knows my love for fashion and I put in effort. I’m that girl who dresses in white, with bangles and jhumkas. I know I’m going to get messy but I’m all for it,” she smiles.
Moving on to work, she mentions her upcoming film with actor Imran Khan, Adhoore Hum Adhoore Tum. She says, “He’s such a refreshing person, so healed as a human being and there is this beautiful niche and genre he has, the kind of films that I watched as a teenager. I feel that genre does not exist anymore and there’s nobody who can do more justice to it than him. “ She adds, “It the rom-com genre he is known for but elevated, more mature and evolved. There’s a lot from his personal life because he was part of the creative process. I’m playing a character that does not conform to stereotypes .” The actor who was also recently seen in the psychological crime thriller Daldal adds, “I’m a toxically positive person and my character DCP Rita Ferreira was none of that, so in many ways it was a healing process for me.”
