‘People told me not to become an actor’

Huma Qureshi says people told her she didn’t fit the parameter of being an actor, but she stuck on

Actor Huma Qureshi (left), who has been admired for her performances in films such as Badlapur (2015) and Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), says that she was advised to not become an actor. However, the 28-year-old says that she was always very clear about what she wanted to do. “I came here with just an idea in my head. Everyone tried to talk me out of becoming an actor. They said that I didn’t fit the parameter of being an actor, and that I didn’t come from a filmy family. Despite that I stuck on to what I wanted to do. I think it is turning out pretty well,” she says.

The actor, who is currently shooting for the remake of Oculus, in London, says that she has always chosen quality over quantity when it came to work. “It has been a conscious decision ... I don’t want to do too many things. I am not a part of a rat race where I just want to be seen. I am not insecure that if I don’t do films, people will forget me,” she says, adding, “I am constantly trying to go for interesting scripts and projects. That has always been my ambition. As an actor, I try to make the best of what is offered to me.”

Huma says that she has a long way to go where success is concerned. “I have to do so much. I am very needy (as an actor). It has been an eventful journey for me till now and I have valued every minute of it. But I am still learning and making mistakes. I learn something new with every film. There is a long way to go but it has begun well,” she says.