Over the years, the role of a female protagonist has undergone a sea change evolving from being just an arm candy of the hero, to playing central characters that take the story forward. Bollywood actor Huma Qureshi may not have a long list of films to her credit, but the roles she has done stand apart in their variety. Right from her very first Bollywood film — Gangs of Wasseypur Part 1, her USP has been to veer away from the mundane and be a part of edgy, unconventional films. She stepped into regional films with the Marathi road drama Highway and is now opening her innings in Mollywood through the Mammootty-starrer White, directed by Uday Ananthan. The actress was in Kochi to promote the film.
Speaking about the reasons for accepting the film, in which her character Roshni is seen romancing an elderly billionaire played by Mammootty, Huma says, “The great script, the chance to act with Mammootty sir and destiny compelled me to sign the film. There is a beautiful love story of a younger woman romancing an elder man and I would have been a fool to let go of this film.” Language proved to be the toughest barrier for Huma. She explains, “At first I thought I could pick it up easily because I learnt French and Spanish. But, I could not get the hang of the language. If I had more time, I may have learnt a fair bit, but in the end I had to resort to learning it phonetically and had help from a translator.”
On Mammootty, she terms him a legendary actor, who was fun to work with — “I thought he would be strict and boring, but he was so chilled. He blended with all of us cracking jokes and it was a treat!”
Unconventional could be Huma’s middle name and she explains that she seeks roles that are different. “I took up this profession to challenge myself and be someone different in every single film. I want a library full of work that I can be proud of; I want to be experimental and live a life where I have acquired skills,” she states. Huma is also not in a hurry to accept every role but would like to pick and choose the films. She signs off, “I don’t want to be Number 1 nor does the rat race interest me! I want to just do my work and be known as a good actress.”
