After a series of ‘massy‘ Indian movies, the film industry seems to be returning to core storytelling which also addresses social evils. Bhumi Pednekar‘s upcoming movie “Bhakshak” is a prime example. The trailer of this dark and gripping film dropped yesterday and has been trending on social media ever since. Literally translating to Predator, Bhakshak will showcase Bhumi essaying the role of a fierce investigative journalist.

Bhumi Pednekar’s character Vaishali Singh is determined to expose those involved in a case of sexual assault of girls at a shelter home run by politician Bansi Sahu a.k.a. Aditya Srivastava. Going against everyone’s advice, Bhumi takes up the case to expose the truth along with Sanjay Mishra. Directed by Pulkit, the film Bhakshak is inspired by true events.

Bhakshak also stars Sanjay Mishra, Sai Tamhankar and Surya Sharma in pivotal roles. The suspense drama is produced by Gauri Khan and Gaurav Verma under the banner of Red Chillies Entertainment. Sharing the trailer, Shah Rukh Khan wrote on Instagram, “A story of resilience that needs to be told. Bhakshak, a film inspired by true events, releasing on 9th February, only on Netflix.”

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The film chronicles the journey of a courageous journalist who finds shocking secrets while investigating a girls’ shelter. The trailer gives a glimpse into how Bhumi’s character is headstrong about fighting against the heinous crime. And not just fighting with society and the perpetrators but also with her own people, who refuse to acknowledge her mission for justice. 

Bhumi On Assuming The Role Of Vaishali

Throughout her journey as an actor, Bhumi has always gravitated towards clutter-breaking films that surpass the conventional narrative. She strives to cast herself in roles that challenge norms and prejudices while also sparking conversations that lead to positive social change. Among these films is Bhakshak, which ranks among the most important in her career. 

As a protagonist, Bhumi’s character Vaishali delves into the depths of a heinous crime, shedding light on the harsh realities of crimes perpetrated against women. Talking about her experience of stepping into the shoes of a journalist, Bhumi said, “Journalism is a difficult career…it needs a lot of courage to ask the right questions, especially to the people who are in power. To ask questions fearlessly definitely needs a lot of courage… I salute the journalists out there for doing their job with integrity and fearlessness.“

“I have learned a lot by working on this film. I feel honoured. Working on Bhakshak was quite challenging as it is based on a sensitive and hard-hitting topic. The film asks questions at a core level that is bound to shake one’s conscience. I hope the film sparks conversations that lead to meaningful change. The film sheds light on the crimes against the children,” she added.

Internet Reacts

When the teaser of the movie came out, a Shamita Sinha commented on Bhumi Pednekar’s post saying, “My mom was the advocate who took this case to the Patna High Court. Witnessed the case first hand, can’t wait to see this movie on Netflix! 🤍” To which Bhumi replied, “Yeahhhh 🙌🙌🙌 Proud of your mom ❤️“.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Bhakshak‘s director Pulkit thanked SRK for sharing the film’s trailer. “This is dream❤️ Thank you @iamsrk Sir for all the love and support,” he wrote. To which Shah Rukh very graciously responded saying, “All the best for the film. It’s such a hard hitting film…!! And the whole cast is outstanding.”

Karan Boolani called the trailer “bone chilling“. “Fiction is the lie that helps us understand the truth,” he wrote. Rajkummar Rao found it to be very “powerful“. Many other celebrities lauded the movie’s trailer, looking forward to streaming it on Netflix on February 9.

An X user found the movie’s story similar to that of politician Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. He wrote, “Bansi Sahu = Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh = Criminal under protection, Red Chillies = Shahrukh and Gauri Khan = Real Life Superheroes, Thanks @RedChilliesEnt and @iamsrk for showing the courage to pick up this subject.”

Another highlight of the film announcement was seeing C.I.D. fame, Aditya, who played the memorable Inspector Abhijeet in the iconic show, to play the villain in Bhakshak. A fan wrote on X, “Good to see Aditya Srivastava back on screen❤️”

Bhakshak Trailer reaction review Bhumi Pednekar Aditya Srivastava

Bhakshak Special Screening

The makers of Bhakshak held a special screening of the trailer for a handful of media persons on January 31. They witnessed the powerful scenes of the movie and could relate to it. One journalist took to X to express how he felt upon watching the trailer. He wrote, “A crime drama led by a journalist should interest a journalist’s soul and his human values more than his profession. She explained it so well☺️“

Journalist Lipika Varma attended the special preview too where she interviewed Bhumi Pednekar. Lipika questioned her on various aspects like how the film reflects the true state of affairs for journalists today, on women-oriented theatrical releases, and her role as a journalist.

Another user pointed out that “The film is based on Muzaffarpur Women’s Shelter”. We can see in the teaser that the name of the place has been changed to Munawwarpur. A third wrote, “#BhakshakTrailer is strong! Congratulations @RedChilliesEnt for another cinematic gem.“

From what the teaser and trailer of “Bhakshak” suggest, the film promises to deliver a compelling narrative that tackles pressing societal issues supported by stellar performances. We are definitely looking forward to watching it on Netflix!