May 07, 2026 3:00pm IST
Huma Qureshi Rejects Leading Lady Stereotypes: ‘I’ll Be Disrespecting My Own Talent’ (EXCLUSIVE)
The actress who was brave enough to do take up the lead part in Double XL for which she piled on the pounds, take a up a song in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai and play a bsddie in Monica, Oh My Darling, “I refuse to be boxed in by narratives of what leading ladies should do. Buying into such expectations would be “disrespecting my own talent, my intelligence and my being as a woman.”
For Qureshi, the shift is not just ideological but practical. Where actresses were once wary of aging on screen, she sees freedom, “Earlier, perhaps women were insecure that if they grey their hair or play an older character, people will believe that’s who they really are. But hey, I’m talented enough to play this older part, and I’m not afraid to do it. And if the need be, I’ll go and do a really hot song as well in the same year. As women, we need to be okay with that, and not afraid of it. Also, today I can actually flip that narrative. Like, this is not how I wake up looking, or doing my morning yoga, chai, or whatever.”
Related Stories
Also, Huma has been able to balance her web series and movies, like few actresses have. She makes her own rules, rather than feel tied down by narratives like an actress doing web series is going to affect her brand as a film actress. She explains, “My only non-negotiable is I hate to do stuff that I’ve already done before. I’m not trying to imitate somebody else. I’m not trying to have a career path like anybody else. I’m trying to do my own thing.”
She also doesn't believe in being guided by external markers of success. Whether a subject is commerial or not. Or the maker is a big name. Heer choices her guisded by her own parameters, “I’m not thinking, is it commercial enough. I’m not thinking, what the box office will be. I’m not thinking, what the reviewers will think. I’m like, ‘Have I done this before or not.’”
The 'Maharani' embraces a more fluid idea of what a career can look like. “There is no one way to do things. It’s not one shoe that fits all. Everybody will have a different kind of journey. Maybe I’ll always be an indie actor who’s done commercial work now.” She says, acknowledging that she may continue to straddle spaces.
Qureshi is vocal about the shrinking space for all kind of films in the industry, which has made the choices available fewer. “One way of cinema is not enough. You need the small and mid sized films as the backbone. The number of films that are getting made or greenlit is going down. So many good films suffer because of that. To even release a film, the kind of money that is spent on marketing is very restrictive. Where do those independent films go? They’re not being bought. They’re being forced to go to theatres where they cannot compete with big ticket films.”
Still, the actor remains rooted in instinct over calculation. “I’m not overthinking it. I’m just going with the flow. I’m just having a blast. I’m just leaning into that pure creative space. Even if I make a mistake, it’s going to be my own. And I’m going to completely own it. I’m not going to be apologetic about it.”
Huma Qureshi will be next seen in “Toxic: A Fairytale For Grownups" alongside Yash, Nayanthara, Rukmini Vasanth, Tara Sutaria, and ensemble cast.
Read More About: Huma Qureshi
Most Popular
Comments are moderated. They may be edited for clarity and reprinting in whole or in part in Variety publications.