Barring a few exceptions, Bhumika Chawla has stayed away from the camera’s eye in the last few years. After her role in Laddu Babu in 2014, Bhumika hasn’t graced the Telugu screens again. Now however, she is all set to make a comeback with an upcoming Telugu movie. “I’m acting alongside Nani in MCA right now. And I’m also working on a Tamil film and a Hindi film, with Tamannaah and Prabhu Deva,” says Bhumika.
So what has kept Bhumika busy all these years? “My three-year-old, Yash,” she chuckles. Reminiscing, she says, “I actually have been working on and off on my own pace all these years in Tamil and Hindi. And thankully my family has been quite helpful. I can work in peace even if I was away from him.”
Bhumika Chawla ruled the roost as a star heroines back in the day.
But as the tradition goes heroines have what is called a “shelf life”. After which they stick around only in supportive roles. Bhumika is painfully aware and honest about the fact. “Personally I know I won’t keep doing sister-in-law, mother-in-law roles until I die! I will be doing different things and be doing so in my own pace. I will be working till I’m 70.
However, I am not dying for work. I just work because I like to.” But heroes do keep being heroes while heroines turn into character artistes. Her opinion on that is blunt. “You can’t deny that chauvinism exists. But having said that every industry goes through a change. Bollywood now has characters being written for women. Aishwarya Rai does an Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and a Sarabhjit. Sridevi is doing Mom.
B’wood has come to terms with women being the lead character. Even down south, characters will surely be written particularly for women. It’s a natural transition,” she explains. Adding as an afterthought she says, “Audiences can only choose to watch what is offered. Unless we give them movies that break the mould, they won’t have a chance to appreciate new content.”