‘Society tells women to be only one way’: Huma Qureshi

Huma Qureshi

It takes some people a lifetime to discover themselves and be comfortable in their skin. For Huma Qureshi, who has had an eventful year with a striking cameo in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Gangubai' and a marvellous act in Vasan Bala's 'Monica O My Darling', the road to this realisation took almost a decade, which invariably delayed her growth in the industry. "I feel when you change from within, your reality mirrors it. Today, when I feel sure about myself, it reflects in the kind of work that I am getting and delivering," says the actor, who made her Bollywood debut with gangster drama Gangs of Wasseypur (2012). While she hoped to achieve big and better projects post her debut, the actor couldn't exploit her potential barring a couple of outings including Sriram Raghavan's Badlapur (2015).

Qureshi shares that she had little confidence in her capabilities as an actor, and it took some introspection during the pandemic to finally come into her own. "A lot of times I refused scripts because I felt scared and under prepared. I was constantly trying to find myself. Now, I am not [scared] because I know myself," says the actor who has realised that to make a character stand out, she needs to put her own stamp on it. What also helps Qureshi is being self-assured in her strengths. "If you bring me the role of a seductress, I will play her the way I know. Today, when I am getting the opportunities to express myself, the least I want to do is be honest to myself and the audience," she says.

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In an industry that is too quick to typecast an actor, Qureshi shares that she steers clear from repeating her character type, irrespective of its popularity. "Post Maharani, I was offered Bihari roles in several films and shows. I refused good banners and scripts because I had nothing new to offer the character. After Monica O My Darling, people were surprised, and asked me why had I not danced on screen before? So, the only thing that I am looking at right now is to take up projects that I've not attempted before." Before finding her voice in the industry, Qureshi was led to believe that to make it big in the movies, women need to be of a certain body type. "The society is to be blamed for telling women to be only one way to be worthy of the big screen or magazine covers. For me, playing a hot girl is like playing Tarla Dalal. It's a character, not my identity as a human being," says Qureshi, who is looking forward to her 2023 slate that has the biopic of late chef and food writer Tarla Dalal and thriller Pooja Meri Jaan.