Bhumi Pednekar says she took a break from acting after The Royals backlash: 'Returned signing amount, said no to media appearances'

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Bhumi said the trolling that followed the release of The Royals impacted her significantly, leading her to step away from film sets. “There was a lot of trolling, a lot of bots. But between all of that, there was also constructive criticism. That experience pushed me to take some drastic decisions for my life in 2025. One of them was taking a break. I didn’t announce it because I didn’t want to dramatise it,” she said.

Bhumi Pednekar made her debut in 2014 with Dum Laga Ke Haisha. Since then, she has undergone major physical transformations and moulded her body to suit her characters. “It’s not just about physical transformation. It’s also about what you go through emotionally and mentally every time you prepare for a character,” she added.

“I had become emotionally depleted. I’d completely lost perspective of who I am as an actor and as a person. I had to step back and, in that noise, find people who were my well-wishers and had something truly constructive to say,” Bhumi shared.

Bhumi returned cheques

Talking about taking a silent break, the actress said, “I took a break. I haven’t been on a set since June. Many times, when an actor admits this, there’s a negative connotation attached to it. But it was something I did voluntarily, and it’s the best decision I’ve taken for myself.” During this period, she read books, watched films and pursued a course at Harvard University. She also travelled to gain real-life experiences.

“I left movies. I had to return signing amounts. I had to say no to cheques. It wasn’t just about refusing films but also reducing my presence in the media. I said no to award shows and fashion events. I wanted to cut off and understand if I could survive on my own—and I know I can,” she said.

Bhumi admitted that she feared becoming mediocre and felt disconnected from real experiences. “I didn’t have any real experiences left to bring to my craft, and that scared me. I went back and watched my own work because I was lost. I questioned whether I could actually act,” she confessed.

She further added that living in a bubble had made her numb to others’ experiences. “It’s important for actors to step out of that bubble. That experience shook me. I’m grateful people watched The Royals. The best thing that came out of it was reconnecting with Bhumi the person and Bhumi the actor,” she said.

Bhumi’s return to sets

The actress is set to return to film sets in March after her nine-month break, with an upcoming courtroom drama. “It’s about sexual violence faced by women and marginalised communities. It’s a theatrical film, and I’ve been working on it for the past two months. I can’t wait to be back on a film set,” she said.

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