Bhumi Pednekar on being trolled for her style choices: I am not bothered about fashion policing

Actor Bhumi Pednekar has been on a fashion revolution by experimenting with her looks for every outing. But the actor has been receiving equal parts admiration and brickbats for her quirky sartorial choices. Her outfit at the launch of Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai, a black cutout dress at a style awards and even the blouse she wore at actors Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani’s wedding reception led some social media users to troll her.

However, the Bheed actor remains unfazed and admits that though she always had in it her to take risks, she gained the “courage” to go all out with fashion only recently.

“In real life, this is exactly how I am – bold and carefree. Over the last two years, I met people from the [fashion] fraternity who saw this side of me,” says the 33-year-old.

She elaborates on how these experts “encouraged” her: “I’ve just become a lot more comfortable with myself now. I have accepted myself a lot more. All that is translating into my appearances at whatever events and red carpets that I attend. I have realsied that I have always loved myself. I have been a confident girl. It is a journey for everyone. Today, I’m more upfront and I am a little more carefree about showing people who I really am”.

With experimentation comes fashion policing. Does that bother Pednekar?

“Not at all,” she replies, adding, “For me, fashion and beauty is so therapeutic. My journey, I would like to believe, started in the lockdown when I started putting out beauty blogs and makeup videos. Earlier, I was so nervous when I put out my first video because I was thinking if this is something which I should be doing. But then it was so therapeutic to me and I got so much love for it.”

About embracing her style, she adds, “It started casually when I decided to put out aspects of my life and I honestly do this for myself. I love fashion. And I’ve loved fashion since I was a child. Today, I like to own it to the max that I can. So this comes from a very, very authentic place of being passionate about beauty and fashion. And the fashion police doesn’t bother me.”