Bhumi Pednekar calls Bundelkhandi her toughest language on screen
Synopsis
Bhumi Pednekar has named Bundelkhandi — the Chambal dialect she adopted for the 2019 dacoit drama 'Sonchiriya' — as the hardest language she has ever prepared for on screen. Months of training for a role that also starred the late Sushant Singh Rajput make this a rare glimpse into the linguistic rigour behind one of Bollywood's most underrated period films.
Key Takeaways
Bhumi Pednekar named Bundelkhandi as the most difficult language she has performed in on screen.
She underwent months of dialect training before filming the 2019 drama 'Sonchiriya' , set in the Chambal ravines. 'Sonchiriya' was directed by Abhishek Chaubey and starred the late Sushant Singh Rajput , Ashutosh Rana , and Ranvir Shorey .
The film's dialogues were entirely in the Bundeli dialect , depicting a gang of dacoits called Baaghis.
Pednekar made the revelation during promotions for 'Mere Husband Ki Biwi' , released on 21 February 2025 , which reportedly underperformed at the box office.
Actress Bhumi Pednekar has revealed that Bundelkhandi remains the most challenging language she has tackled in her screen career, citing months of dedicated training before filming the 2019 dacoit drama 'Sonchiriya'. The disclosure came during the promotional run for her 2025 release, 'Mere Husband Ki Biwi'.
The Language That Tested Her Most
"I love picking up different languages, but the toughest will have to be Bundelkhandi, which I adopted in 'Sonchiriya'. I had training for that for many months," Pednekar said. The Bundeli dialect, spoken across the Chambal region, is not commonly taught in formal acting programmes, making it a steep linguistic climb even for seasoned performers.
About 'Sonchiriya' and Its Dialect
Directed by Abhishek Chaubey and co-written by him, 'Sonchiriya' was set against the ravines of Chambal and told the story of a gang of dacoits who called themselves Baaghis — rebels. The film's dialogues were entirely in the Bundeli dialect, a creative choice that demanded authentic linguistic immersion from the entire cast. Alongside Pednekar, the film starred the late Sushant Singh Rajput, Ashutosh Rana, and Ranvir Shorey. The project was produced by Vashu Bhagnani, Jackky Bhagnani, and Deepshikha Deshmukh under RSVP Movies and MacGuffin Pictures.
Bhumi's Linguistic Range on Screen
Pednekar has built a reputation for immersive character preparation, and her language choices reflect that. Bundelkhandi stands apart from the more commonly attempted regional languages in Bollywood — such as Punjabi or Marathi — precisely because it has limited instructional resources and few native-speaker coaches in the film industry. Her willingness to invest months in dialect training for a single role underscores the commitment she brings to character authenticity.
'Mere Husband Ki Biwi' and Its Box-Office Run
The actress made these remarks while promoting 'Mere Husband Ki Biwi', directed by Mudassar Aziz and released in theatres on 21 February 2025. The film featured Arjun Kapoor, Pednekar, and Rakul Preet Singh in the lead roles, with Shakti Kapoor, Anita Raj, Dino Morea, and Aditya Seal in supporting parts. Cinematography was handled by Manoj Kumar Khatoi, editing by Ninad Khanolkar, and the musical score by John Stewart Eduri. The film, however, reportedly underperformed at the box office.
Pednekar's candid reflection on her craft offers a rare behind-the-scenes window into the linguistic preparation that goes into period and regional films — an aspect of performance that rarely gets its due in mainstream film coverage.
Point of View
Resulting in phonetic approximations that ring false to native ears. 'Sonchiriya' was an exception, and its critical appreciation owed something to that authenticity. The irony is that the film underperformed commercially despite — or perhaps because of — its uncompromising linguistic realism. In an industry where dialect depth rarely translates to box-office reward, Pednekar's months of Bundelkhandi training remain an outlier, not a template.
NationPress
13 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which language did Bhumi Pednekar find most difficult on screen?
Bhumi Pednekar has said that Bundelkhandi, the Chambal dialect she performed in for the 2019 film 'Sonchiriya', was the most challenging language of her screen career. She underwent several months of dedicated training to master it.
What is Bundelkhandi and where is it spoken?
Bundelkhandi, also called the Bundeli dialect, is spoken primarily across the Chambal and Bundelkhand regions of central India. It is distinct from standard Hindi and has limited formal instructional resources, making it particularly demanding for actors to learn.
What was 'Sonchiriya' about?
'Sonchiriya' was a 2019 dacoit Western directed by Abhishek Chaubey, set against the ravines of Chambal. It told the story of a gang of dacoits who called themselves Baaghis, with all dialogues written entirely in the Bundeli dialect. The film starred Sushant Singh Rajput, Bhumi Pednekar, Ashutosh Rana, and Ranvir Shorey.
What is 'Mere Husband Ki Biwi' and how did it perform?
'Mere Husband Ki Biwi' is a 2025 comedy drama directed by Mudassar Aziz, starring Arjun Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar, and Rakul Preet Singh. It released in theatres on 21 February 2025 but reportedly underperformed at the box office.
Who produced 'Sonchiriya'?
'Sonchiriya' was jointly produced by Vashu Bhagnani, Jackky Bhagnani, and Deepshikha Deshmukh under RSVP Movies, along with MacGuffin Pictures.
