In Love, There Should Be No Ego'

Bhumi Pednekar tries comedy in her new film, Mere Husband Ki Biwi, and she admits it's a tough job.

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“Comedy,” Bhumi tells Subhash K Jha, “is the toughest form of art.” Mere Husband Ki Biwi looks like a laugh riot. Did you have fun shooting it? Comedy is something I enjoy thoroughly.

I’ve done quite a few, maybe the tone of Mere Husband Ki Biwi is a little different. This is more social comedy with a slice-of-life feel to it. I have not done a comedy where I get the punchlines or where I do physical comedy. So it was very refreshing. I feel that women usually don’t get an opportunity to do that.

You have worked with Mudassar Aziz before. Has he evolved as a director?

Everything I did was directed by my able director Mudassar Aziz because he has a very good hold on comedy, and he understands comic timing. An actor like me loves to improvise but there were many times where he told me to hold back because a comedy of this tone does not have the space to do that, especially where dialogues are concerned. They are written in a certain meter, and they need to be delivered in a certain meter because of the punchlines.

What do you find tougher to do: Serious films like Bhakshak or lighthearted films like Mere Husband Ki Biwi?

I feel comedy is the toughest form of art. A lot of comedy is dependent on the people you share the frame with because if they don’t have an impact of the line that you’ve delivered or if their reaction isn’t funny, the audience will not find it funny. Comedy is very tough.