Bhumi Pednekar on armed forces: 'Civilians don't do enough back for them'
Synopsis
Bhumi Pednekar's three-day Sikkim trip took her to the India-China border — and sparked a candid admission: civilians, she said, 'don't really do that much back' for the armed forces. The remark, made after speaking with officers in freezing conditions at the frontier, is drawing attention to a gap that rarely gets discussed in mainstream celebrity discourse.
Key Takeaways
Bhumi Pednekar is on a three-day visit to Sikkim as of 12 June .
She visited the India-China border , spoke with stationed officers, and learned about the region's history.
She said civilians 'don't really do that much back' for the armed forces, expressing deep gratitude and a sense of indebtedness.
Her most recent film is Mere Husband Ki Biwi ( 2025 ), directed by Mudassar Aziz , co-starring Arjun Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh .
She also recently appeared in the web series Daldal .
Actress Bhumi Pednekar is currently on a three-day visit to Sikkim, where a trip to the India-China border has left her with a deepened sense of gratitude toward the country's armed forces. Speaking to reporters during the visit on 12 June, Pednekar said the experience made her reflect on how little civilians give back to those who protect the nation.
What She Said at the Border
'I'm a very, very patriotic person. I was very excited about visiting the border and once you go there you just realize how much our armed forces do for us and we as civilians don't really do that much back for them,' the actress said.
She described the visit as emotionally overwhelming, adding: 'Every time I have an opportunity to interact with anybody from the armed forces I just feel so deeply indebted and full of gratitude, and being at the border, I was like — that's China.'
Border Visit: History, Cold, and Pride
Pednekar said she spent time speaking with officers stationed at the border and learning about the history of the region. 'I went through the history of everything that had happened over there, spoke to so many officers. It was very cold, so breathtakingly beautiful up there and I was just filled with this sense of extreme pride for everything that our country does to protect us,' she said.
Notably, the Sikkim border region carries significant historical and strategic weight, having been the site of standoffs and military deployments over decades. For a public figure to draw civilian attention to conditions at the frontier adds a rare cultural dimension to ongoing conversations about the armed forces.
On the Acting Front
Pednekar was most recently seen in the 2025 film Mere Husband Ki Biwi, directed by Mudassar Aziz, alongside Arjun Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh. The film follows a divorced man who finds himself caught between a new love and the return of his amnesiac former wife. She has also appeared in the web series Daldal.
A Career Built on Unconventional Choices
Pednekar began her industry journey as an assistant casting director at Yash Raj Films for six years before making her acting debut in the 2015 film Dum Laga Ke Haisha, where she played an overweight bride — a role that earned her wide critical praise. Her subsequent filmography includes socially conscious projects such as Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Saand Ki Aankh, Badhaai Do, Bheed, Afwaah, and Bhakshak, reflecting a consistent pattern of choosing roles with a message.
Her visit to Sikkim continues to draw attention on social media, with fans and veterans alike responding to her remarks about civilian responsibility toward the armed forces.
Point of View
But Pednekar's remarks carry a slightly different register — an acknowledgement of civilian passivity rather than the usual patriotic performance. That said, the comment 'we don't really do that much back for them' raises a question that goes unexamined: what would meaningful civilian reciprocity actually look like? The armed forces conversation in India tends to oscillate between reverence and political instrumentalisation, with little room for the kind of honest civilian accountability Pednekar is gesturing at. Whether this translates into sustained advocacy or remains a soundbite from a Sikkim trip will be the real measure.
NationPress
28 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Bhumi Pednekar visiting Sikkim?
Bhumi Pednekar is on a three-day visit to Sikkim, during which she travelled to the India-China border, met with officers, and learned about the region's military history. The purpose of the visit has not been officially specified beyond the reported engagements.
What did Bhumi Pednekar say about the armed forces?
She said that visiting the border made her realise 'how much our armed forces do for us' and that 'we as civilians don't really do that much back for them.' She described feeling deeply indebted and full of gratitude after interacting with officers at the frontier.
What is Bhumi Pednekar's latest film?
Her most recent theatrical release is Mere Husband Ki Biwi (2025), directed by Mudassar Aziz, co-starring Arjun Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh. She has also appeared in the web series Daldal.
How did Bhumi Pednekar start her career?
Pednekar began as an assistant casting director at Yash Raj Films for six years before debuting as an actress in the 2015 film Dum Laga Ke Haisha. She went on to build a filmography centred on socially relevant subjects.
Where exactly did Bhumi Pednekar visit in Sikkim?
She visited the India-China border in Sikkim, describing it as 'breathtakingly beautiful' and 'very cold.' She spoke with officers stationed there and went through the history of events that had occurred in the region.
