In 2014, Huma Qureshi had graced the cover of a magazine’s body edition, with the headline reading ‘My body, my rules’. The cover was a part of the actor’s relentless endeavour to promote self-love and body positivity in an industry that, until recently, couldn’t look beyond waif-thin and slender frames. Now, she has taken the conversation against body shaming a step ahead by throwing her might behind Double XL. Did she actively seek out the script, or was it the other way around? Qureshi says the film was conceptualised from a casual conversation in her living room. “We were lamenting about how much weight we had put on during the pandemic. Sonakshi [Sinha] and I were discussing how throughout our career, people always have something to say about how we look. Mudassar [Aziz, writer] was there, and he suggested we make a movie about this.”

That set the ball rolling on Satramm Ramani’s directorial offering, which highlights self-love by narrating the story of two women who challenge the norms set by society. Since the subject was so close to her heart, Qureshi turned producer with it. The actor also piled on 20 kilos for the role. “There is a culture where a specific body type is [projected] as perfect. It leads to bullying and unhealthy lifestyle choices. We shouldn’t adhere to the [conditioned] idea of perfection. Even Barbie dolls have moved away from this idea. We, as people in show business, need to do better. Why are we telling young girls and boys that they are only as good as their skin colour, or waist size? Why are we devaluing a human being by negating their personality? [Through the movie], we are saying that every body type is beautiful, and everyone needs to be celebrated and empowered.”