'I'VE BECOME MORE FEARLESS AND AUTHENTIC NOW'
PROVOKE Lifestyle|September 2023
THE BIRTHDAY GIRL HUMA QURESHI WHO JUST TURNED A YEAR AND A MOVIE OLDER IN JULY, COULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER YEAR WITH A GOOD LINE UP OF FILMS IN HER KITTY THIS YEAR AND IS LOVING HER BOLD AND MATURE NEW IMAGE. OUR STUNNING STAR OPENS UP IN A CANDID CONVERSATION WITH PROVOKE MAGAZINE
NAMITA GUPTA
'I'VE BECOME MORE FEARLESS AND AUTHENTIC NOW'

Huma Saleem who Qureshi has been in the industry creating her own niche with some very interesting projects and has won many awards and recognition, has a good kitty of promising lined up theatre to ads and then movies, there's no looking back for this beauty. Who stunning can forget the crime drama Gangs of Wasseypur, the film that earned her several prestigious film awards and a career graph that looked only upwards, post its success. Her acting career has been versatile and how - dark comedies, horror, action, psychological thrillers and most recently a biopic. No wonder then that Huma has been applauded for her vivacious energy and brilliant acting on screen. Here's Huma - up, close and personal...

1. Tell us about your growing up days. What was your dream career in your childhood days?

I was doing a lot of amateur and professional theatre in Delhi and there I found my passion for acting, because of my background in theatre. After that I started getting a lot of calls for auditions so I decided to move to Mumbai. Initially I went through the usual hustle of going from studio to studio. I remember I would pack my bag in the morning with one Indian outfit and one Western outfit and just go for auditions. I started doing television commercials soon, including one with Shah Rukh Khan. One of them was directed by Anurag Kashyap - it was an ad with Aamir Khan for Samsung mobile phone. That was really the ad that got me my film Gangs of Wasseypur. Kashyap kept his promise, signing me for a three-film deal with his company Anurag Kashyap Films and since then there's been no looking back. I always wanted to be an actor, even as a kid and coming from a middle class family, with nobody else in the family from the film industry, I was a bit apprehensive how this dream would come true. I think I was scared to even admit to myself but I guess it was always meant to be.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM PROVOKE LIFESTYLEView all
The Enigma of Manmohan Singh: A Legacy of Greatness Shadowed by Unfinished Truths
PROVOKE Lifestyle

The Enigma of Manmohan Singh: A Legacy of Greatness Shadowed by Unfinished Truths

IN THE CORRIDORS OF INDIAN HISTORY, WHERE INTELLECT MEETS POWER, FEW FIGURES HAVE LEFT AN IMPRINT AS PROFOUND—AND AS PERPLEXING—AS DR. MANMOHAN SINGH.

time-read
3 mins  |
January 2025
Through the Eyes of Janus Breakthroughs and Predictions for the New Year 2025
PROVOKE Lifestyle

Through the Eyes of Janus Breakthroughs and Predictions for the New Year 2025

AS THE CALENDAR FLIPS TO JANUARY, WE FIND OURSELVES IN A MONTH NAMED AFTER JANUS, THE ROMAN GOD OF TRANSITIONS AND DUALITIES. WITH HIS TWO FACES-ONE GAZING INTO THE PAST AND THE OTHER INTO THE FUTURE-JANUS SYMBOLISES THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT ON THE YEAR GONE BY AND LOOK AHEAD TO WHAT LIES IN STORE. HE REMINDS US THAT PROGRESS IS BORN FROM THE LESSONS OF OUR PAST AND THE DREAMS OF OUR FUTURE.

time-read
5 mins  |
January 2025
The Changing Face and Fortune of Anglo-Indians in the Land Down Under
PROVOKE Lifestyle

The Changing Face and Fortune of Anglo-Indians in the Land Down Under

IN TODAY'S INDIA, MANY MAY HAVE NOT EVEN HEARD OF A COMMUNITY CALLED 'ANGLO-INDIANS', AND THE ONLY GLIMPSE YOU'VE PROBABLY HAD IS IN RECENT MOVIE \"THE ARCHIES\" WHICH GAVE THE WORLD A SNEAK-PEAK INTO THE ANGLO-INDIAN SOCIAL LIFE OF THE YESTER-YEARS, BUT JUST ENOUGH TO RAISE CURIOSITY. SO, WHO ARE WE? WHERE HAVE WE COME FROM? AND WHERE ARE WE TODAY

time-read
9 mins  |
January 2025
Pongal, the grand Tamil Thanksgiving festival!
PROVOKE Lifestyle

Pongal, the grand Tamil Thanksgiving festival!

THE TAMIL MONTH OF THAI HAS BEEN KNOWN AS A FESTIVE SEASON FOR MORE THAN TWO THOUSAND YEARS. IT WAS KNOWN FOR ITS GRAND RITUALS AND PENANCE. MANY EARLY TAMIL TEXTS TALK ABOUT 'THAI NEERADAL' (HOLY BATH) AND THE FEAST FOLLOWING IT AS 'THAI OON (FEAST)'. THE GRAND PONGAL FESTIVAL CELEBRATED TODAY FALLS ON THE FIRST DAY OF THIS AUSPICIOUS THAI MONTH. HERE'S A LOOK AT THE RICH HISTORY BEHIND THIS ANCIENT FESTIVAL THAT STILL RETAINS ITS GLORY TODAY.

time-read
3 mins  |
January 2025
There's an App for That
PROVOKE Lifestyle

There's an App for That

TECHNOLOGY COULD BE THE SECRET WEAPON YOU NEED TO STICK TO YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS IN 2025. WHATEVER AREA YOU WANT TO IMPROVE, THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT! KEEP READING FOR MY RECOMMENDATIONS.

time-read
6 mins  |
January 2025
RAMP UP YOUR WARDROBE WITH 2025's hottest colour!
PROVOKE Lifestyle

RAMP UP YOUR WARDROBE WITH 2025's hottest colour!

EVERY YEAR, PANTONE ANNOUNCES THE COLOUR FOR THAT YEAR AND IN 2025 IT IS A BROWN THAT IS COZY, EVOCATIVE AND ALMOST LIKE A WARM HUG. MOVING AWAY FROM DARKER SHADES, THIS COLOUR THAT IS NOW BEING ACTIVELY DISCUSSED BY FASHION MAGAZINES AND LIFESTYLE BLOGS INSTANTLY BRINGS TO MIND THINGS LIKE COFFEE AND CHOCOLATES.

time-read
4 mins  |
January 2025
A Decade Apart: The Unchanged Challenges of Indian Medical trainee doctors
PROVOKE Lifestyle

A Decade Apart: The Unchanged Challenges of Indian Medical trainee doctors

THE HORRIFYING RAPE AND MURDER OF A TRAINEE DOCTOR AT RG KAR MEDICAL COLLEGE AND HOSPITAL NOT ONLY BROUGHT OUT THE LACK OF SAFETY BUT ALSO THE HORRIFYING WORK CONDITIONS THEY FACE. WHEN I REFLECT ON MY INTERNSHIP DAYS, ONE MEMORY STANDS OUT: A GRUELING 7-DAY CONTINUOUS DUTY IN A DEPARTMENT OF A LEADING PRIVATE HOSPITAL IN INDIA. DURING THIS TIME, I WAS TASKED WITH CHALLENGING DUTIES FOR A CONTINUOUS 156 HOURS. DESPITE THESE HARDSHIPS, THERE WERE ALSO MANY HAPPY AND MEMORABLE MOMENTS THROUGHOUT THAT YEAR.

time-read
6 mins  |
January 2025
Rishi's Rudhra Avatara
PROVOKE Lifestyle

Rishi's Rudhra Avatara

RISHI TALKS NEW ROLES, FATHERHOOD, AND THE ANTICIPATION SURROUNDING 'RUDHRA GARUDA PURANA'

time-read
4 mins  |
January 2025
All The World's A Canvas!
PROVOKE Lifestyle

All The World's A Canvas!

FOR THOSE OF US USED TO SEEING ARTISTS' STUDIOS THAT ARE CLUTTERED WITH PAINTS AND PAINTING TOOLS SCATTERED RANDOMLY AND CANVASES SPRINKLED AROUND, VIJAYALAKSHMI VEERAPPAN'S HOME STUDIO COMES AS A SURPRISE. BEAUTIFULLY ORGANIZED, THIS IS A SPACE THAT OVERLOOKS A SMALL TERRACE.

time-read
3 mins  |
January 2025
DOU: Flirting with your tastebuds!
PROVOKE Lifestyle

DOU: Flirting with your tastebuds!

As you enter, you feel positive vibes as the light streams in invitingly. The menu has plenty to pick from for Continental food lovers. An array of coffees, bakes, and typical European café style dishes including sandwiches, salads and homemade pastas invite you to nourish your body and soul.

time-read
1 min  |
January 2025