In the audience verdict of Jolly LLB 2, there is a special mention for Pushpa, the one who hates tears. “ She has a family but doesn’t have the middle class trappings. She could tell her husband that what he is doing is not right. She also steps up to the occasion when she finds that he is in a fix. She is not just somebody who is there for effect. It was a welcome challenge,” gushes Huma Qureshi, who made Pushpa absolutely believable. The challenge is fine but it is an Akshay Kumar vehicle where she is one of the passengers. Having started with strong characters in films that veered away from mainstream tropes, it seems Huma in now looking for mass appeal. “When I was doing theatre in Delhi, I was told I couldn’t do movies because a middle class Delhi girl can’t aspire to be a film actress. It was not considered to be a done thing. When I started doing movies, I was told that I could do only certain kind of films. Lot of films that I wanted to do, went to more ‘commercial’ people. So another challenge here was to prove that it was also something that I could do. And I had a blast dancing, lip syncing to songs and performing in emotional scenes.”
Huma maintains there is nothing wrong in a creative person reaching out to more people. “When I was doing theatre, I wanted to reach out to 150 audience in the auditorium. When I started acting in films, I want to reach out to as many audience as possible. Also, the makers of the film have given ample space to the female character to do her bit. It is not a stereotypical husband-wife relationship. Now in mainstream films, the female character has much more to do than just making kheer for the husband and say, aaj maine apne haathon se kuch banaya hai! Pushpa is brash, speaks her mind and likes her drink.”
Huma feels there has been a “tectonic shift” in how female characters are being written and perceived. “You can’t undercook a female part any more. Even if it is a mother character in the film, if you are not going to add a nuance as to who she is, where she comes from, you lose out on audience. The cut copy paste sort of template can’t work any more. It has happened because our society has evolved and a new set of writers and directors have emerged who are reflecting this change. There are many women who order drink in a bar and there are many men who cook at home without being reduced to wuss.”
Coy and controlled
Cut to Gurinder Chadha’s Viceroy House, where we will get to see the coy, controlled side of Huma. “It is an English film with ensemble cast drawn from all over the world. The last Viceroy comes to India before Independence and and he is given the task of cutting India into two. There is a Muslim girl in his house who is his translator. She is in love with a Hindu boy who works as his valet. I would call it a political epic romance. The backdrop is politics of course, but it is essentially a romance between these star-crossed lovers.”
Huma is glad to be part of a compelling story, which was showcased at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival recently. Does it remind us of lessons from Partition? “I think so. Few years ago, some documents were declassified by the British government, which shed light on what happened in those few months leading to Partition. How it impacted the life of so many Indians....Gurinder is in a special position because she is a woman and a British of Indian origin and she is a Punjabi. She understands the complexity of the issue.” Does it show that the our leadership had feet of clay? “As an actor, it would have been against my conscience to be part of a film that took a stand like that. It is a balanced narrative,” she argues.
A period film requires a different kind of homework and Huma says she would chew Chadha’s head. “From how my hair style is going to be to my diction, I had 1000 questions to ask her. I have been raised as a very vocal person. My parents always believed: if you want to say something, say it. And Alia, my character, is a very quiet 1947 girl. I talk with my hands going all over, she is always in control. She has lot of passion inside, though. I would often ask Gurinder why can’t she be like me. I like that give and take with the director. But I always ask questions before going to the set. Once, I am on the set, the director is the boss. After all they have hired you for a purpose,” Huma chuckles.
When Huma emerged on the scene we liked her spunk with a dash of old world charm. She seemed like in a unique space but, over the years, the industry hasn’t challenged her enough. “Industry hasn’t given me that many choices but I am sitting here today. I am educating myself in this journey. I often watch other actor’s films and think how I would have done it. Sometimes, you feel inspired, sometimes you feel humbled and sometimes you feel gosh! I should have done it.”
Kashmiri meets Mughlai
Huma’s father Saleem Qureshi runs a chain of restaurants in Delhi. “It used to pay for our college fees. If not for an actor, I would have been a restaurateur. I do enjoy cooking but I only cook occasionally. We are big on hospitality. Perhaps that’s why we are blessed with a number of friends. My father is a proper Delhi Qureshi while my mother is a Kashmiri. One day, I would like to write a book on how Kashmiri meets Mughlai on our table.”
