Outside the conventional

Huma Qureshi talks about the wave of new-age cinema in Bollywood and the need for good scripts

July 29, 2014 07:29 pm | Updated 07:29 pm IST - Bangalore

DREAM GIRL Huma Qureshi

DREAM GIRL Huma Qureshi

When she moved to Mumbai a few years ago from Delhi, leaving behind friends and family, Huma Quershi never thought she would hit the bulls eye in Bollywood. With acclaimed performances in unconventional hits such as Anurag Kashyap’s revenge epic Gangs of Wasseypur and the feudal drama Dedh Ishqiya , Huma is thrilled about her journey in the industry. “It is a dream come true. I am glad that people have liked my performances and have ensured that I get a chance to perform with very talented people. I have enjoyed working in all my movies. I try and learn something from everybody. It helps me perform better.”

In the city for the launch of Abharan’s new collection, Huma says that the industry is undergoing many changes. “It is very encouraging that off beat movies such as Highway , Queen and Dedh Ishqiya are drawing audiences, on the back of a good script and stellar performances. It is an exciting time to be in Bollywood. The industry is undergoing change and audiences also appreciate good movies with a nice story.”

Huma follows the mantra ‘content is king’ while selecting movies. “I like to read scripts before agreeing to act in a project. As long as the project has good professionals working in it and is backed by a strong script, I am keen on participating in it.”

Huma’s most recent film was the critically and commercially acclaimed Dedh Ishqiya , where she plays the role of Munia, a confidante and ally to Begum Para, played by Madhuri Dixit in the movie. “ Dedh Isqhiya is a very different movie. It is set in rural India, in a feudal setting. It takes one back to the times of old social dramas featuring feudal clans. Apart from the fact that the script offered a non-conventional character, I took it up because it gave me the opportunity to act with thespians such as Naseeruddin Shah and Madhuri Dixit.”

She adds, “Working with Madhuri was a dream come true. “When I was growing up, every one wanted to be Madhuri Dixit. She is the ultimate actress. It was a different genre for both of us and we had good fun working in the film. I learnt a lot from these stalwarts.”

“The recent spate of movies with strong women characters in Bollywood is very encouraging. It also helps that movies such as Kahaani or a Queen were backed by a superb script. I want to see movies, which tell a good story, irrespective of whether it is male or female centric,” she says.

Huma is currently shooting for Badlapur , a thriller that is being directed by Sriram Raghavan and stars her Gangs of Wasseypur co-star Nawazuddin Siddiqqu and Varun Dhawan

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.