When I first interviewed Huma Qureshi four years ago, she was already a big star and, it was predicted, would rise even further. What I did not realise then, was that despite her success in mainstream (well, glamorous) roles, she would consciously-as Meryl Streep in the West, perhaps - try different kinds of parts, never repeating even the broad contours of a performance. This is hard to do in Bollywood, where roles for women are not as varied as they could be.
I was certainly not expecting to see her transform into a dumpy Gujarati lady as she does in Tarla, the new Zee5 movie on Tarla Dalal, the most influential Indian cookbook writer of the 20th century.
There another reason for my surprise. Huma comes from a celebrated family of restaurateurs, who run the respected Saleem chain of restaurants. She is not, what we Gujaratis would call, a dal-bhaatrotli-shaak kind of girl. And yet here she was, pretending to enjoy all the vegetarian food that Tarla Dalal cooked.
She says she was surprised herself by the things she had to say. "I had to try a vegetable biryani, to enjoy it and to say how delicious it was. I have been brought up to believe that biryani is always made with meat. When people compliment me on my performance, I say that if I was convincing when I appeared to enjoy the vegetable biryani, then yes, it was a good performance", she laughs.
Denne historien er fra July 22, 2023-utgaven av Brunch.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 22, 2023-utgaven av Brunch.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Is It Scrolling Or Screening?
Being on the phone while the TV plays is the new normal. Just don't do it when there's company. A case for what it means to be present
This week, we're...
Preferring the spinoff.
The newest tricks in the book
Time is money. Here are the best hacks for saving precious seconds and taking even your everyday feed to the next level
Snuffing out the flames
Has online dating peaked? People are ditching the apps, going old-school, and aiming for IRL connections. Here's how the swipe failed a whole generation
Off the eaten path
In hotels, cafes and home kitchens cooks are getting creative with food waste. Tomato skins show up in a cake, fat flavours broths, peels have fresh appeal. Of course, we're cheering this change
Glamming up your getaway
Every island in the Maldives is stunning. So how do resorts offer a luxury upgrade? At Cheval Blanc it's by elevating every experience-food, service, spa and beyond
Benefits with friends
Of course it's harder to make friends as we grow older. Responsibilities, increase, time is short. Luckily, we have our tribes
A portrait to reflect upon
Playing with lighting and layering, a young Amrita Sher-Gil depicted herself as bold, mischievous, and enigmatic - all at once
Keep your trope shut
A divided world, a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a prophecy, a burden too heavy for a young adult. 10 YA dystopian cliches to vanquish in battle.
Sanjeeda Shaikh
Actor, @IAmSanjeeda