For Bhumika, the live images coming out of a television were always a source of delight and amusement since childhood. And appearing on television was an intense desire for little Bhumika. “As a child, I used to stand behind the television and ask my parents whether they could see me on TV because I thought one would appear on screen simply by standing behind it. It was during my eighth grade that it got into my head that I had to become famous. I didn’t know how or when it would happen but the dream was there,” laughs Bhumika.
The actor who won the hearts of Malayali audiences as the graceful wife of Mohanlal in ‘Bhramaram’ is all praise for the veteran actor and director Blessy. She says, “Blessy sir is amazing. He is meticulous in his work and a perfectionist. And Mohanlal is simply a fabulous actor. He spots every nuance of a performance and suggests how it should be done. He is a spontaneous actor.”
Asked whether she would like to associate more with Malayalam films, she says, “Though Malayalam is a difficult language, if I am offered a few performance-based characters, I will definitely do them.” Bhumika is currently shooting for a social fantasy Telugu film ‘April Fool’ opposite Jagapathy Raju. Apart from Telugu films, she has acted in Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam films. Ask her which industry she best identifies with and the 34-year-old actor says, “As I have acted in almost 25 films in Telugu, it is like a second home to me.”
She made her debut in Hindi opposite Salman Khan in ‘Tere Naam’ in 2003 and for Bhumika, her character ‘Nirjara’ remains closest to her heart. “Many people still address me as Nirjara. To accept that role was a bit risky as at that time everyone in the industry was going glamourous but I am happy that I took that risk,” says Bhumika who was in Kerala recently with her husband and yoga guru Bharat Thakur at the launch of his Artistic Yoga centres.
Though it is not Bhumika’s first visit to Kerala, she gets excited each time she is here. She has a list of likes about the place too. “I love mainly five things about Kerala. First is its greenery with trees and waterbodies everywhere. Second is its people. Everyone is busy in their lives but I see peace on their face. Also the place offers a clean and hygiene environment. Then I love the white sari with golden embroidery which is very simple yet elegant to wear. And of course I love Kerala food,” says Bhumika who shows the true appetite of a Punjabi. “Among the food that I have eaten from Kerala, prawns fry and karimeen pollichathu are my favourite.”
Bhumika herself is a good cook. “In my pastime I like cooking and baking cakes. Whenever there is a get-together at our place I bake cakes, and my carrot cake usually turns out the best,” says Bhumika, adding that her husband Bharat is a better cook than herself.
Writing poetry is another one of her hobbies.
“I am compiling my collection of poems in a book,” she says. The book will have 50 poems in Hindi with an English translation. “The book is titled ‘Aaina’ which means mirror and focusses on people, incidents that I observe around me daily,” says Bhumika who now wants to spend some quality time with her family. “When I got married, both Bharat and I were very busy with our careers but now I feel it is time to slow down and enjoy time with him as much as possible. So I have decided to sign only two or three projects a year,” says Bhumika.