Huma Qureshi shares why female-led stories still have to fight for screen space

A rare combination of grit and grace, Huma Qureshi is one of the few actors who constantly challenges patriarchal moulds and conventional tropes that define the Hindi film heroine, both in mainstream and independent cinema. With the fourth season of Maharani set to stream this week and Bihar going to vote in a keenly contested election, the actor, who plays the Chief Minister of the State in the political drama, speaks her mind on a range of subjects in a freewheeling conversation with Anuj Kumar.

Both in the Maharani and the ongoing Bihar election campaign, women voters are at the centre of politics. What is your take?

As long as it stems from a real space of actually including women in decision-making, policymaking, and making them real participants rather than indulging in tokenism or merely paying lip service, it is a welcome change.

When the series started, the character of Rani Bharti seemed like a reflection of Rabri Devi in Patna. By the fourth season, she has evolved into an Indira Gandhi-like figure, headed to Delhi.
It is unfortunate that we have very few examples of women in politics. When you play a female politician, you are cast in one of the two moulds. The intention was never to create a character based on a real-life politician. One can call Maharani a political fantasy fiction where the makers take actual incidents that have happened and put a spin on them. Rani Bharti is the leader we don’t have, but perhaps the kind of politician we need.

New Delhi: 01/11/2025: Indian actress Huma Qureshi along with Anuj Kumar, Deputy Editor, Metro Plus The Hindu during “The Hindu MIND Series”in New Delhi on November 01, 2025.
Photo by: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap/ The Hindu
| Photo Credit:
SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

Do you have a method of putting together such characters? Do you read bills and legislation alongside the script?
I am not a big fan of actors talking at length about their method. It just romanticises the idea of preparation a bit by saying that we forego food for three days or tie a leg to the chair.
Between action and cut, I fully surrender to what I am doing in that moment. I don’t have a blockage like ‘Oh! Huma would not do this’. Automatically, I feel my body, my shoulders, my core shifts into that space. It just happens very subconsciously. I wish I had the time or the inclination to read legislation. I rely on common sense and basic core principles of humanity. They serve me just fine.

Does being a writer help you understand and portray characters more effectively?
Better, I don’t know, but all good actors are, in a sense, storytellers. They have to be a bit of a writer and a director to understand the inner journey of the character. For instance, the lines could be I am hungry and when was the last time you saw your wife, it is the actor’s responsibility to bridge the gap.

From Gangs of Wasseypur to Bayaan, you tend to play characters that speak up or challenge authority and don’t forfeit their agency. Is it by chance or is there a plan to it?
That’s the Delhi University chhatra (student) in me! I would put it down to the time I spent in Gargi College, an all-girl institution, and the way we were raised in my house, as well as outside. There was no separation of work between boys and girls. If I did a play and the lights needed to be fixed, I would not call a male colleague. When I reached the film sets, I found there are certain jobs that men do and some jobs that are assigned to women. I felt that’s not fair. Now I find more women working in the camera department. I approach them and tell them, no matter how hard it gets, just keep doing it, because what they are doing is very important. When I find women who congratulate me on being able to speak in front of an authority that was not fair to them, after watching my character, I see it as a victory.

New Delhi: 01/11/2025: Indian actress Huma Qureshi along with S Ramanujam( Assistant Vice President, Admin , The Hindu) during “The Hindu MIND Series”in New Delhi on November 01, 2025.
Photo by: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap/ The Hindu
| Photo Credit:
SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

The gaze on the Hindi film heroine is changing. Is it for real?
It’s slow, but it’s changing. I believe that if a plane shifts even by one degree by the time it reaches its destination, it is a different city. We are in the right direction. In comparison to the past, many of my female colleagues are creating female-centric content in OTT and mainstream spaces. Female actors are taking on a wide range of subjects, including action films. However, a lot more needs to be done. There is a mental block regarding the theatrical release of female-led films. The hero’s film receives a much wider release because those who run the business believe that more people want to watch films about those subjects, which is not necessarily true. Here, the mindset of the society comes in. One film or role alone is not enough. It has to be like a cultural movement.

In Leila, Tees, and Kaala, you play characters who are targeted because of their inter-faith relationships. How do you see this expression of hate in films and society?
We live in a multicultural country. Even within mainstream religions, there are so many sub-sects and beliefs. The way I was raised, I was taught that faith is a matter of personal choice, and I don’t need to discuss it or flaunt it. However, for a lot of people, it’s a burning issue. If they need to speak about it, I don’t feel the need to join them. For example. I’ll never do a propaganda film for the simple reason that I would not be able to sleep at night after being part of a film that moves people emotionally to hate another human being.
Of course, throughout recorded history, people have committed many horrible acts, but they have also performed many lovely deeds. If you only focus on the bad, we are actually creating a bigger culture of fear and hostility. So let’s correct the focus.

New Delhi: 01/11/2025: Indian actress Huma Qureshi during “The Hindu MIND Series”in New Delhi on November 01, 2025.
Photo by: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap/ The Hindu
| Photo Credit:
SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

What was it like working with Rajinikanth in Kaala?
It was like one tick off the bucket list. When Pa Ranjit, a fantastic filmmaker, offered me the part, I jumped because we had always admired Rajini sir. The experience was very fulfilling. Beyond all the stardom and euphoria lies a straightforward person with simple values who is very easy to talk to. I really enjoyed my conversations and the time I spent with him.

You were supposed to start your career with a Tamil film. Isn’t it?
Yes, I was replaced after being signed for a film with Ajith sir. Destiny is such that years later, I got to work with him in Valimai. The greatness of Ajit sir is when we met on the sets, he walked up to me and the first thing he said was, ‘I am so sorry, I had nothing to do with it.’ I didn’t expect him to remember it at all.

Like Mohsina of GOW, you seem to like both red and green. After playing strong characters, you also turn up in mainstream projects and a glamorous song appearance…
I take my agency as a human trait. When it seeps into my characters, it’s not intentional. As a female actor, I don’t want to be put in a box. I want to be part of a Jolly LLB and perform a so-called hot song in Maalik. I do a Bayaan and Delhi Crime in the same year because I can.

How do you process the so-called item songs?
I enjoy songs personally, as long as a woman is expressing her sensuality and sexuality in a way where she is enjoying it. I feel women are not really encouraged to normalise their own feelings and desires. As long as the song represents that, I am okay with it. However, if it is only for the male gaze, then that is problematic. And you know the difference immediately!

New Delhi: 01/11/2025: Indian actress Huma Qureshi along with Anuj Kumar, Deputy Editor, Metro Plus The Hindu during “The Hindu MIND Series”in New Delhi on November 01, 2025.
Photo by: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap/ The Hindu
| Photo Credit:
SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

From Anurag Kashyap, Subhash Kapoor, and Sriram Raghavan to Deepa Mehta and Gurinder Chadha, you worked with an eclectic mix of filmmakers. Tell us your one takeaway.
Forget acting, I am a better person just by watching them. It started during Badlapur, when I was working with Sriram. I was too new, I heard a narration, but I didn’t understand what we were making. Sriram is a great filmmaker, but he is not a very expressive person when it comes to narrating scripts or ideas, which I later realised is his superpower. When I received the script, which I still have, with notes indicating what my character, Jhimli, is thinking at particular points in time. I just fell in love with his process. I said to myself, ‘Wow, here is a director who’s actually sent me a printed script that explains the mental space of the character throughout the film.’ Isn’t it beautiful?

At one point in time, we had a feeling that you would be part of the Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s universe. Why did you not take that route or detour?
It was offered to me, but I could not do it for some reason. I love Sanjay sir. I loved working with him for a short period during the song in Gangubai Kathiawadi, and it would be a privilege to be directed by him, as he is a genius. The way he looks at women, the way he frames and positions them, and the kind of visual aesthetic he has, it’s really unmatched.

And you fit in that space…
I fully fit in that world! It hurt when Heeramandi could not happen, but it was not meant to be for various reasons. I would love to be directed by Sanjay sir. In fact, I told him after we shot the song for Gangubai: ‘You know the song is your forte, but I have to do scenes because that is my forte.”

But curiously, you are exploring the evil side with the third season of Delhi Crime.
My problem is that I have this urge to try what I haven’t done before. I am a huge fan of the franchise. When I watched the first season, I fell in love with it. I was very mindful of the fact that this is Shefali Shah’s show, and she is incredible in it. The makers wanted to introduce a new antagonist, and the writing hooked me. It is the ‘worst’ character I have played so far (laughs).

How did you find and justify the darkness of a child trafficker to yourself?
Don’t know, maybe I am that person! It really disturbed me because I have certain values and morals that I hold dear while the character relishes her evilness. I have always played either positive or grey shades, but this is dark, and I am a feminist, someone who has strong opinions about girls’ rights. However, as actors, we also have to play parts that portray the other side, and being part of it will bring more attention to it. I was watching an old interview of Leonardo DiCaprio where he talked about the disturbance he felt when he did Django Unchained, where he plays this white plantation owner during the slavery period who spits on his co-actor in a scene. However, the fact that he did that part, or an actor who is popular in a certain sense, does something, it actually highlights the cause and the issue even more. We are not trying to glorify the character. It is what it is. I think I did the right thing, as it was really creatively fulfilling. I had fun, as at some point, I felt like I could do anything I liked. I can be so terrible, and it’s okay!

New Delhi: 01/11/2025: Indian actress Huma Qureshi during “The Hindu MIND Series”in New Delhi on November 01, 2025.
Photo by: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap/ The Hindu
| Photo Credit:
SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

Over the last few years, female actors have taken a significant step into production. You are also launching a company with your brother. What’s behind this trend?
Frustration. I can do so much more, but people are not making those subjects. We have a company called Saleem Siblings. We continually emphasise that the industry should operate in a certain way. We have ideas, but we don’t find the right partners. Of course, it is scary being a first-generation producer, but I see it as learning a new job profile to explore subjects that nobody else is making and to voice stories that have not been told. Our first film, Baby Do Die, will be released next year. It is an action thriller about a Maharastrian female assassin. The title is a play on her name, Baby Karmarkar. The way I look at it is either we win or we learn.