Bhumi Pednekar

Bhumi Satish Pednekar (Hindi pronunciation: [bʱuːmɪ peːɖneːkər] born 18 July 1989) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Known for her portrayals of headstrong small-town women, she is the recipient of several awards, including three Filmfare Awards. After working as an assistant casting director at Yash Raj Films for six years, she made her film debut as an overweight bride in the company's romantic comedy Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015), which earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. She rose to prominence starring in the commercially successful films Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017), Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017), Bala (2019), and Pati Patni Aur Woh (2019). For her performances as the septuagenarian sharpshooter Chandro Tomar in Saand Ki Aankh (2019) and a closeted lesbian in Badhaai Do (2022), she twice won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress. She has since starred in the social dramas Bheed (2023), Afwaah (2023), and Bhakshak (2024). Her subsequent theatrical releases have all failed commercially. Off-screen, Pednekar is an environmentalist, and as of 2023, raises awareness on climate change for the United Nations Development Programme.