No Holding Back

Huma Qureshi takes a giant stride as she signs a film opposite Rajinikanth.

- Rukma Saluja

Huma Qureshi is that rare actor who actually admits her complete fascination with the world of make-believe. She doesn’t say “somebody sent my portfolio to such and such producer/director” or “it’s not something I had planned, it just happened”. On the contrary, she says very candidly, “That’s all I was ever interested in. I would watch whatever movies I could.” From the countless films she watched as a child, two stood out—Sholay and Jurassic Park. “We watched them in a loop on the VHS player we had as kids until the cassettes wore out. I was awed by those huge lizards and always wondered how films were made.” Doing plays in college was simply a step in the direction that brought her to where she is today.

Theatre and modelling assignments followed and then, inevitably, as is the case with many a star, she caught the eye of a director—the king of noir and new-age cinema, Anurag Kashyap. She made her debut in his Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), which was widely acclaimed. Excited and yet full of nerves, she delivered more than a creditable performance, one that landed her a Filmfare Award nomination for best actress in a supporting role and best female debut in the popular category. Getting the accent of a small town Bihari right was not a problem for this debutante. “I’ve always been good at mimicking. If I sit with you for a bit I can soon begin to sound like you!”