Ruling the screen or romancing the hero no big deal for Huma

Actor Huma Qureshi, who started off in Bollywood with the acclaimed Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), believes in quality over quantity. While it’s common to hear about actors getting insecure about the amount of their screen time, Huma proved that she was not in this game. While she played the lead in Jolly LLB 2 and will be seen next in Kaala, opposite Rajinikanth, she was seen in smaller roles in Ek Thi Daayan (2013) and Badlapur (2015).

She says, “It’s always said that there are no small parts, only small actors. In Badlapur, I was offered both the roles — the heroine who dies, or the sex worker, and I chose the latter, Jimli. For me, it’s about the impact that the role has in the film, overall. Less or more screen time, whether I get to romance the hero, is not the yardstick I go by.”

In the year that Huma debuted, Bollywood saw an influx of fresh faces — Richa Chadha (also in Gangs of Wasseypur), Ileana D’Cruz (in Barfi!), and Yami Gautam (in Vicky Donor). Asked how she feels about the success of her contemporaries, Huma states, “I’m here in this industry to work. I respect the work of others equally. There’s no sense of insecurity but definitely, when you see others doing well, you also want to give your best in whatever opportunities you have.”

Always seen in dramatic, serious roles, except for Jolly LLB 2, where she tried her hand at comedy, Huma says that she’d “love to do a potboiler”. She adds, “My decision has always been to play characters that give something to the film. Cinema being potboiler, commercial or indie is not something I look at, if my part is good enough.”

It’s always said that there are no small parts, only small actors. In Badlapur, I was offered both the roles — the heroine who dies, or the sex worker, and I chose the latter.

HUMA QURESHI ACTOR