Actor Bhumi Pednekar has always raised her concerns about various issues. The actress has now joined the list of celebrities urging film festivals to adopt gender-neutral award categories. The actor opines that it is high time that real talent is celebrated without the filter of gender.
Bhumi’s comment comes in the wake of gender-neutral award ceremonies being held across parts of the world. The Berlin Film Festival recently awarded its first-ever gender-neutral acting prize to German actress Maren Eggert. In the new award, both male and female actors now compete in the same category.
A recent ANI report quoted Bhumi Pednekar as saying that it was hugely encouraging to see award functions do away with gendered awards.
“Even from our context, if strong enough roles continue to be written for women and other genders, we can eventually reach a space where we have gender-neutral awards. An artiste should be known for the kind of work that one does and not be seen from the lens of gender. I see each one of us as artists who can do their bit to achieve parity," she said.
For the unversed, the Television Academy's Board of Governors in 2021 approved the gender-neutral option for nominees and winners. The Venice Film Festival, on the other hand, is also following Berlin festival’s footsteps to award gender-neutral prizes.
Bhumi Pednekar also contended that calling all actors as performers is a step forward in the right direction.
"We all know that we live in a non-binary world and I feel such steps will only promote inclusivity. It will be a welcoming step towards embracing all genders. It is high time that we break these walls and celebrate raw, real talent without the filter of the gender," emphasised Bhumi as she spoke about the importance of taking a step towards embracing all genders.
To note, Kareena Kapoor Khan recently shared that she will raise her sons, Taimur and Jeh, to not differentiate between people. The actor’s statement came in regards to the LGBTQ community.
Work-wise, Bhumi will be next seen sharing screen space with Akshay Kumar in 'Raksha Bandhan'. She also has 'Badhaai Do' in the pipeline.
Image Source: Instagram/bhumipednekarfc_