Acting is forgetting yourself and becoming someone entirely new: Bhumi

For her role as a woman from 1970s' Chambal, living and surviving the badlands amidst bloody-thirsty dacoits, actress Bhumi Pednekar says she cut off from the world at large.

The actress, known for her work in "Dum Laga Ke Haisha", "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha" and "Shubh Mangal Saavdhan", is looking forward to the release of her fourth film "Sonchiriya", directed by Abhishek Chaubey.

Talking about what went into tapping in the mind and soul of her character, Bhumi said in a statement to IANS: "Acting for me is a process of metamorphosis. It's about forgetting who I'm and becoming someone entirely new.

"Every artist has his or her method and every character requires a different approach and for 'Sonchiriya', I required isolation. I took to a single-minded approach that saw me cut off from the world at large and be with my character to understand the mind, psyche, and behavior of who I'm becoming."

The only people she met during this period was her immediate family.

Calling herself a "restless actor", Bhumi added: "Until and unless I find the person I'm looking to become, I don't find my peace. I decluttered myself and lived with my character for about 30 days.

"I had to unlearn so much to learn the most about her. I stayed at home, researched as much as I could and had basic human interaction with my family before I boarded my flight to reach Chambal.

"It's tough disconnecting from the people you love, the Internet and life. But it was the only way to do it."

After her preparation, she lived in Chambal for a week prior to the commencing of the shoot to get familiar with the terrain.