In conversation With Bhumi Pednekar On Daldal, Guilt, And Women Who Unsettle

There’s something quietly unsettling about Daldal, and not just because of its grisly crimes or psychological dread. At its centre is DCP Rita Ferreira, a cop who doesn’t fit the mould, played by Bhumi Pednekar in what might be her most internally fractured role yet. Premiering globally on Prime Video on January 30, the Hindi crime thriller steers away from the familiar whodunnit to ask a far more uncomfortable question: why.

Advertisment

For Pednekar, that discomfort was the draw. “Rita is a cop, but she’s extremely flawed, broken, complex, complicated,” she says. “She has more shades of black than white, which isn’t how we usually see cops portrayed on screen.” The opportunity to play a character who operates within the system yet constantly pushes against its moral edges was irresistible. “I got to play a hero while doing a lot of anti-hero things,” she adds, smiling.

Set against the dense, uneasy backdrop of Mumbai, Daldal follows Rita, the newly appointed DCP of the Crime Branch, as she hunts a cold-blooded killer whose crimes feel almost ritualistic in their brutality. But beneath the blood and suspense lies a far more intimate story, of guilt, trauma, and the psychological cost of power.

Pednekar, a self-professed Mumbaikar, speaks with particular affection about inhabiting the world of the Mumbai Police. “I think Mumbai Police is the coolest police force in the world,” she says. “I’ve grown up hearing legendary stories about them. To play a character from within that world, and to explore the human side of what it means to wear a uniform, was really exciting.”

Advertisment

That humanity was shaped through a deeply collaborative process with director Amrit Raj Gupta, creator and producer Suresh Triveni, and producer Vikram Malhotra. “They’re all such brilliant minds,” Pednekar says. Having previously worked with Malhotra and long admired both Triveni’s storytelling and Gupta’s directorial sensibility, she felt an immediate sense of trust. “When I found out Amrit was directing, I was thrilled. He has an incredible mind.”

At a time when female anti-heroes are still rare in Indian storytelling, Daldal doesn’t soften Rita to make her palatable. If anything, it leans into the discomfort. “People say they want to see complex women,” Pednekar reflects, “but when you actually give it to them, they get unsettled. And that’s not just on screen, that’s real life too.”

She pauses, then adds pointedly, “We judge women very easily. It’s our favourite thing to do. And patriarchy isn’t restricted to gender, I know patriarchal women as well.” For her, society’s resistance to morally ambiguous women stems from a desire for convenience. “It’s easier to curb freedom and liberation because it makes life easy.”

Interestingly, the most challenging moments for Pednekar weren’t the emotionally heightened scenes, but the quiet ones. “Drama comes easily to me, I’m conditioned to do that,” she admits. “But doing less, restraining myself, is very tough.” One scene in particular stayed with her: Rita’s first conversation with Anita, played by Samara Tijori. “It’s just a conversation between two strong women,” she says. “I couldn’t react. I had to be completely stoic. That restraint, that was by far the most challenging scene for me.”

At the emotional core of Rita’s journey is guilt, a feeling Pednekar found deeply relatable. “There’s a lot of guilt in Rita,” she says softly. “And I think women, in general, live with a lot of guilt. We’re made to feel guilty for being ambitious, for having drive, for just wanting more. That’s something I connected with very deeply.”

After a brief break from the screen, Pednekar is clearly in a space of creative momentum. “I’m excited,” she says, laughing off the idea that she’s been away for too long. With Daldal arriving alongside other projects later this year, she’s easing back into work with intention. “I’ve always done a mix of things. These shows just happened to come out together.”

In Daldal, that mix culminates in a performance that refuses easy answers, much like the series itself. It’s not about who committed the crime, but what made them who they are. And in Rita Ferreira, Bhumi Pednekar gives us a woman who is neither saviour nor villain, but something far more unsettling: deeply human.

Also, read:

ELLE Exclusive: Sophie Turner And Archie Madekwe On Friendship Under Fire In 'Steal'