Huma Qureshi’s Star is Rising Higher

Huma Qureshi is riding high on two back-to-back hits. As her Rani Bharti rises to national political power in Maharani 4, the actor shifts gears for her darkest and most formidable role yet in Delhi Crime 3. She dials up the evil quotient as “Badi Didi”, a human trafficker devoid of a moral compass.

Overwhelmed by the response, the actor credits her directors and producers for trusting her with such demanding roles. “From being criticised for my performance initially in Maharani to now being praised for it has been overwhelming. And being entrusted with “Badi Didi” in Delhi Crime was both exciting and challenging,” she says.

“I realised that it was a huge responsibility and I had to play this character to the best of my ability. I wanted to make people detest her so much that they detest the crime itself. I had to be really horrible to these girls who are being trafficked and look at them as products. I wanted to make her a most loathed person because if you don’t stop this systemic injustice and crime it will lead to more criminals. The gender isn’t important. The crime keeps happening, because the victims of this crime today will be the criminals behind it tomorrow.”

However, she expresses her disappointment at the non-performance of her theatrical release Single Salma. Talking of the categorisation of such films as ‘women-oriented,’ she believes the label says more about the industry than the stories themselves. “Though we are taking steps in the right direction, there’s a long way to go. Single Salma hardly got shows, and wasn’t promoted the way it should have been, despite releasing at a time when people were talking about my work. I feel there is a lot of systemic gatekeeping, and everything is based on an Excel sheet. I wish we could let the audience decide for themselves instead of deciding for them,” she grouses.

The actor will next be seen in Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown Ups opposite Yash. Though she remains tight-lipped about her part and the film, she says, “the premise is exciting. It’s arguably the biggest film being made in India, and I think the fans will be in for a treat.”