Huma Qureshi is having a moment. With back-to-back turns in Maharani, Delhi Crime, Bayaan, and Single Salma, she has become one of the few actors moving fluidly between grit, vulnerability, and full-bodied power. In this conversation, she reflects on the shift that made her braver as a performer, and why the characters she plays are all part of her larger quest to claim a space in the hearts of women.
Looks like it’s your time, Huma. Recently, you have showcased the many shades of a woman—from Maharani 4 to Delhi Crime 3, Bayaan, and Single Salma—what has this really been like for you?
I am all the women I have played. Yes, it’s been a whirlwind, but it’s a good time. Both the shows (Maharani and Delhi Crime) came so close, but it happened. But now with all the reviews and the accolades, I am feeling overwhelmed. I am full of gratitude that I’m getting to play such amazing, diverse women, and that my co-creators are entrusting me to bring them to life.
It’s interesting that the characters of Rani Bharati in Maharani and Badi Didi in Delhi Crime demand very different synergies. So how do you recalibrate between a character you have lived with for years, and then step into complete dark zone?
I think it’s part of the job. It is my contract with the audiences and myself. Rani Bharti has become such an important character, and not just for me. I don’t think she belongs to me or the makers anymore; I think she has become one of the people. I remember when I played the character for the first time in the first season of Maharani. We were so disappointed with some of the early reviews. Many didn’t like me, thought I didn’t sound Bihari enough, and some had issues with the writing and direction. So we were very disappointed and thought that next time we would work even harder. But within a few days, it picked up and started receiving love. The same goes for my character in Delhi Crime.
Badi Didi is your darkest role ever, and it’s being hailed as your career’s best. Tapping into the depths of darkness must be liberating. What was it like taking up a character like this?
Delhi Crime doesn’t make crimes look glamorous, but it helps us re-examine ourselves as a society, who we are, and what we have become. It explores ideas, ideologies, and reactions to a crime of such magnitude. When I got the call, I thought they wanted me to play a cop, given the kind of work I have been doing, so I was surprised when they said that I will play the antagonist.
I believe in the show’s politics and its path. I tried my best to make people detest my character as much as they detest the crime itself. If I had to be horrible to these girls who are being trafficked and look at them as a product, I would do that. All my understanding of this issue, and what I feel about it, I brought that into this and made her the most loathed person.
It’s been an interesting graph for you as an actor, where your filmography showcases your artistic repertoire. Where did that switch happen for you?
This happened during the pandemic, and the solution to it also came through Maharani. Once I stepped into that character and the success the show got made me braver. It made me connect with the audience that they preferred for me to do something different. I realised I needed to lean into all sorts of roles and paint the canvas with the different shades of me as a performer. I am leaning into playing authentic women, as many wonder why all superstars are male. Now that’s a place I want to take in the hearts of women, to play characters that represent us.
You have also been eloquent about the industry needing to be more democratic, especially towards female actors. Do you think there has been a change?
There are steps in the right direction, but the destination is still far. Giving my own example between these two shows, I also did a film called Single Salma. The film had a small release and didn’t get many screens. There is still that thought process that a female-led theatrical film won’t draw in crowds, and you don’t even give it a chance. As an artist, I know not everything works, but at least give it a chance. If you don’t promote or market it, people won’t see it.
There is a lot of systemic gatekeeping that happens to such films because the perception is that only machismo-driven films will work. It is the gatekeeping that I don’t like. Don’t decide for people, let them decide.