Huma Qureshi: Chatter about vanity is more around female actors

Shunning glamour to play a middle-aged home-chef in Tarla, Huma says industry and media pressure heroines to always look beautiful

In nine months, Huma Qureshi has embodied three women—a plus-sized woman who won’t be bogged down by society’s beauty standards in Double XL (2022), a seductress in Monica O My Darling (2022), and a homemaker who becomes a celebrated cookbook author in Tarla. That she did justice to each part only speaks about her versatility. “People are saying that I’ve played the character in Tarla without vanity and with courage. These diverse choices have been conscious,” begins Qureshi.

To let go of vanity is certainly not easy for an actor. But Qureshi had no qualms playing a middle-aged woman in Tarla, sporting prosthetic teeth and oversized glasses. She admits that there is constant chatter about one’s looks. “Had I allowed my vanity or fear to get in the way, it would’ve reflected on screen. The chatter about vanity is more around female actors. In a recent interview, I was told, ‘You are playing the kind of characters in your prime, which actresses play after their comeback.’ The lens through which journalists [view actors] also needs to change. We have Allu Arjun going de-glam in Pushpa, but such remarks are not made about him. So, why are female actors asked such questions?”

The inherent sexism plagues the industry as much as the media, states Qureshi. She believes it’s important to fight the mindset and normalise heroines playing characters that belong to different ages and backgrounds. “I am pretty vain, I love fashion, and my Instagram handle is testimony to it. But it would be limiting if I’m only known for that. Why is it important for a woman to always look glamorous? Everyone talks about the age of the characters you play, but I am at an interesting stage where I can play someone older and younger. Also, actresses who have taken such risks have enjoyed longevity, as opposed to those who want to pretend they are 19 throughout their career. I don’t blame the women, I blame the expectation of always looking beautiful.”

A shift is required to move away from such ageist ways. She highlights it further, saying, “Zeenat Aman-ji and Rekha-ji are looking stunning on magazine covers. But where are parts being offered to them?”

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