Actress Bhumi Pednekar says female characters are whitewashed on screen and there is a need to change that notion, because she believes women have superpowers.

"We need to change the depiction of genders. We need to change how we show women and men. Women are not supposed to be whitewashed — we have desires, we have ambition, we have physical needs and emotions, and we have the capacity to balance. I believe women have superpowers. I think we need to see a lot more of that in our cinema," Bhumi said.

She added that there has to be a change also in the way men are shown on screen.

"Similarly, we must alter the way men are shown in films. We put so much pressure on the male gender, telling them that they are supposed to be strong, that they can't cry, can't show emotion. That is so wrong. This narrative — 'mard ko dard nahi hota' or 'a man doesn't hurt'– needs to change," she said.

Bhumi says cinema has a huge impact on its audience and it can be used to change the mindset of people in the most positive way.

"I also believe we need to stop objectifying women and there needs to be a lot more inclusivity in films, including the LGBTQIA+ community. I know change is in the air. I just wish we could accelerate it. Like, I just watched 'Super Deluxe' and I couldn't believe what I was watching," she said.

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Bhumi says there is great work happening in cinema. "I feel lucky to be part of the Hindi film industry at this point," she added. (IANS)