Bhumi Pednekar on Delivering an Unsettling Performance in ‘Daldal’ and Playing an 'Anti-Hero'

In her upcoming Prime Original crime-drama series Daldal, Bhumi Pednekar undergoes a radical transformation to play the role of DCP Rita Ferreira — a striking departure from the glossy world of The Royals (2025).

Daldal is a brutal, dark, and unsettling journey into the heart of Mumbai’s criminal underbelly. Based on Vish Dhamija’s bestselling novel Bhendi Bazaar, the series follows Ferreira as she leads a high-stakes investigation hunting down a ruthless serial killer. The predator leaves the Mumbai Police with almost no clues and a mounting body count. While the show is positioned as an intense cat-and-mouse game, the true intrigue lies in the psychological weight carried by its protagonist, Rita.

Pednekar has never been afraid to play layered, complex women — in fact, it is something she actively seeks out, hoping for more stories centering “humanized” women. “I put my heart and soul into every character,” she says in a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, India, adding that playing Rita was as challenging as it was rewarding.

With this role, she ventures into the territory of the 'anti-hero', refusing to lean into the typical clichés of an on-screen police officer. She abandons the bravado and exaggerated speech, delivering a still, aching performance that suggests a deep, suppressed darkness. Rita is a woman constantly sidestepping the expectations of her rank, choosing to hide her vulnerabilities behind a mask of quiet nothingness. The character is deeply coloured with shades of grey, confronting the ghosts of her own past alongside a race against time. "There are typical tropes around an on-screen female police officer. But the protagonist of Daldal does not have any of that. Rita is broken, complex, selfish, morally grey, and could easily have gone the other way. There is nothing about her that is conventional."

Pednekar credits director Amrit Raj Gupta for supporting her through the characterization of Rita, one of her most dark and unnerving performances yet.

Daldal has been produced by Vikram Malhotra and Suresh Triveni under the Abundantia Entertainment banner, written by Sreekanth Agneeaswaran, Rohan D’Souza, and Priya Saggi. The supporting cast includes Samara Tijori and Aditya Rawal in pivotal roles. The series will stream on Prime Video on January 30, in India as well as over 240 countries and territories.

Watch the full interview with Bhumi Pednekar on The Hollywood Reporter India YouTube channel.