Actress Huma Qureshi, who was honoured with the Breakthrough Entertainer of the Year at the Stardust Achievers Awards in Dubai last weekend, has reached a sweet spot in her career.
Her films — including the visceral crime drama Gangs Of Wassepur series and the satire Jolly LLB 2 — have begun speaking for her.
“I have reached a position where people come to me with parts and I am not asked to audition anymore because of my body of work. Till Dedh Ishqiya happened [in 2014], I auditioned for every role… I am kicked about the fact that I have earned it and it has not come to me on a silver platter,” says Qureshi in an interview with Gulf News tabloid!.
But Gurinder Chadha, who directed her in Viceroy’s House (released in India as Partition: 1947), was a recent exception to that rule because she had to send across a tape to convince the filmmaker that she fit the role of Aalia in the historical drama.
“Viceroy’s House opened a different world to me filled with opportunities. As a brown girl with a Muslim surname, I am the least privileged in the world. But I look at the world as my glass being half full,” says Qureshi.
She hasn’t done a shabby job either.
The 31-year-old actress is the poster child for making it in Bollywood without any acting dynasty backing her.
She began her career by acting in TV commercials and Bollywood folklore has it that she was discovered by indie film director Anurag Kashyap, who signed her for a series of films. Playing a role with lesbian undertones (Dedh Ishqiya) or someone who’s required her to be street-smart (Gangs Of Wasseypur), Qureshi is game for anything.
2017 has been “an exciting one” for Qureshi. And the proof is in her current project. She’s in the midst of filming a gangster film with South Indian icon, Rajinikanth.
At her suite in The St Regis in Dubai, Qureshi comes across as a guileless star who doesn’t shy away from meeting this journalist without make-up or a fancy gown on. Nor does her publicist monitor the interview like a nervous warden, as is the norm.
Belonging to the almost-extinct breed of artless actors, Qureshi doesn’t Google herself either. But we got the N-word out of our way, right at the start. Her take on…
Nepotism…
“I am bored of nepotism. True talent shines. Fake PR does not and fake connections don’t. Star kids have more opportunity and they know whom to call. That makes their ride simpler. But the real work has to be done by everybody… But beyond a certain point, only hard work and talent will take you through.”
Working with Rajinikanth for the Tamil film, Kaala…
“He is one of the most genuine people I have ever met. He’s so unaffected by his superstardom and it’s humbling to watch him with his fans. It’s endearing and it has always been my dream to work with him. What I love about him is that he keeps it simple. He wears the badge of being a superstar so lightly. I feel privileged.”
Mastering the Tamil language…
“It is one of the most oldest Indian languages with a rich history, so I cannot possibly master it in two months — barring konjum, konjum [little, little] words. I try to memorise my lines and I try to understand what the scene is about. My strength has always been improvisation, so that gets a bit tough when you don’t know the language… But my character in the film is someone who speaks Tamil and several other languages. She travels a lot. During theatre days, we did an activity called the ‘gibberish exercise’ where you invent your own language. You can say anything and that’s the basis of me dabbling with Tamil.”
Bollywood films going through a bleak box-office phase...
“It is not about the hero and the heroine anymore. Today, an audience looks at a film as a complete package. The secondary cast is as important as the lead pair. Gone are the days where you make safe films with a certain formula… Beyond a certain point, even the loyalists of the biggest stars will evaluate a film on its own merit… Now people will reject anything if it doesn’t meet their expectations or standards. We have to remember that people are going to be stingy about where they are going to spend their Rs300 [Dh16.9, the cost of a film ticket in India] on. Going to films is now an expensive affair.”
Her guilty pleasure...
“Watching Kerry Washington’s Scandal. It’s amazing and it embraces diversity… It’s important to tell our stories. The world will be a better place if we are represented and our representation goes beyond that stereotypical [terrorist] bomber or the Mexican maid. TV series are going beyond stereotypes and cinema is yet to do that.”
Reading reviews about her films…
“I do read reviews, but I don’t go searching for it. I am not one of those people who Google themselves either. I don’t need negativity in my life… And I don’t think our reviewers know reviewing. Just by telling a synopsis of a film, it isn’t a review. And remember, a review is a person’s opinion. It is not the last word… I remember Manoj Bajpayee during the promotion of my first film, Gangs Of Wasseypur, in Delhi telling me: ‘Cherish this moment. No matter how many films you do henceforth or how big or a small star you become, this anticipation and the butterflies before your first film will never come back. You don’t know if you will hit bulls-eye or fade into the night.’”
Body positivity and embracing your curves...
“It’s my body, my rules. Now, a lot more people are talking about body positivity. The other day, I was having dinner in Mumbai and this couple came over and said that they love me and said: ‘you are not one of those skinny [expletive]’. I have always believed that you should be the best version of yourself. Don’t be embarrassed about being who you are. I know so many young girls in my profession who resort to all kinds of means to achieve that perfect body. There’s anorexia and bulimia. Whatever you do with your body, it should be a healthy informed choice.”
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DID YOU KNOW?
Huma Qureshi’s favourite TV series:
The Crown, Black Mirror (“it’s life-changing”) and How To Get Away With Murder.
