Actress Huma Qureshi, who has carved out a niche for herself in the film industry in just a little over a decade, opens up to The Pioneer in an exclusive conversation on her newly published book, how no character has ever affected her emotionally, and more.
Tejal Sinha
Think of Huma Qureshi, and one thought that would certainly strike your mind—’Wonder Woman’. With all the projects that she does, she has defined being a synonym of Wonder Woman. Apart from being an actor, producer, and model, now she’s added another feather to her hat, which is being an author.
Recently, she launched her debut book, Zeba: An Accidental Superhero, which is a story of passion, wonder, and magic. Having always been fascinated by superhero narrative and fantasy fiction, in our exclusive chitter-chatter, the Monica, O’ My Darling actress shares, “The protagonist is a symbol of resiliency and is both unique and relatable. She is a misfit as well, but she eventually learns how to get around.Zeba started off as a screenplay for a television show. But I soon realized that producing a superhero movie in a fantastical setting would cost a lot of money. I went back over the screenplay during COVID and made the decision to publish it as a book.”
Basically, she goes on to reveal, “Every character in the book has a little bit of me and the people that I have observed and interacted with over the years. But it’s a work of fiction, not autobiographical at all. As for more books, yes, but then again, I am waiting to see how many copies this one sells.”
Well, going ahead, Ten years down the lane, and the Gangs of Wasseypur actress, who made her debut with the Anurag Kashyap directorial film, has created a niche for herself in the industry, undeniably! And to mention all her projects and characters that she plays have been divergent from one another. We wondered if she gets emotionally affected by the roles that she plays. Well, no, she doesn’t, because, “For me, it’s a job, which I have to do.”
She has always preferred to work on movies that she herself would want to watch. Not someone who’d prefer to repeat herself, she says, “I’m always trying to think of the next amazing thing I can accomplish.”
Always keen on being associated with new and interesting initiatives, recently she was also one of the adroit actors associated with Royal Stag Barrel Stag Large Short Films for ‘Select Films, Select Conversations’.
“I think it’s always good to be associated with initiatives that support young voices and young filmmakers, and I think this is the perfect platform to do that. I love to support younger filmmakers. I love to watch their work. I love to engage with them. I feel like that’s my way of also giving back to the filmmaking community. I just hope more and more budding artists end up telling their kind of stories,” says the Badlapur actress, who has gotten her hands on multiple mediums, be it with films or web series. Now with short films too, the Maharani star enthuses, “I think it’s a great format because it helps people without the burden or the avenue or the opportunity of working with a big studio or a big star, all of that, to just tell their stories in the most unadulterated way possible, and I think that’s what will always ensure the longevity of short films being around. It’s a great way for makers to express themselves.”
As we get to the end of this fun tête-à-tête, we ask her about what’s more on her plate, and she hilariously responds, “Dinner, meeting my parents, and then going for a drive in DelhI(we laugh out loud). I can only tell you what I am going to do in the next couple of hours, but I’m looking forward to the future!
Think of Huma Qureshi, and one thought that would certainly strike your mind—’Wonder Woman’. With all the projects that she does, she has defined being a synonym of Wonder Woman. Apart from being an actor, producer, and model, now she’s added another feather to her hat, which is being an author.
Recently, she launched her debut book, Zeba: An Accidental Superhero, which is a story of passion, wonder, and magic. Having always been fascinated by superhero narrative and fantasy fiction, in our exclusive chitter-chatter, the Monica, O’ My Darling actress shares, “The protagonist is a symbol of resiliency and is both unique and relatable. She is a misfit as well, but she eventually learns how to get around.Zeba started off as a screenplay for a television show. But I soon realized that producing a superhero movie in a fantastical setting would cost a lot of money. I went back over the screenplay during COVID and made the decision to publish it as a book.”
Basically, she goes on to reveal, “Every character in the book has a little bit of me and the people that I have observed and interacted with over the years. But it’s a work of fiction, not autobiographical at all. As for more books, yes, but then again, I am waiting to see how many copies this one sells.”
Well, going ahead, Ten years down the lane, and the Gangs of Wasseypur actress, who made her debut with the Anurag Kashyap directorial film, has created a niche for herself in the industry, undeniably! And to mention all her projects and characters that she plays have been divergent from one another. We wondered if she gets emotionally affected by the roles that she plays. Well, no, she doesn’t, because, “For me, it’s a job, which I have to do.”
She has always preferred to work on movies that she herself would want to watch. Not someone who’d prefer to repeat herself, she says, “I’m always trying to think of the next amazing thing I can accomplish.”
Always keen on being associated with new and interesting initiatives, recently she was also one of the adroit actors associated with Royal Stag Barrel Stag Large Short Films for ‘Select Films, Select Conversations’.
“I think it’s always good to be associated with initiatives that support young voices and young filmmakers, and I think this is the perfect platform to do that. I love to support younger filmmakers. I love to watch their work. I love to engage with them. I feel like that’s my way of also giving back to the filmmaking community. I just hope more and more budding artists end up telling their kind of stories,” says the Badlapur actress, who has gotten her hands on multiple mediums, be it with films or web series. Now with short films too, the Maharani star enthuses, “I think it’s a great format because it helps people without the burden or the avenue or the opportunity of working with a big studio or a big star, all of that, to just tell their stories in the most unadulterated way possible, and I think that’s what will always ensure the longevity of short films being around. It’s a great way for makers to express themselves.”
As we get to the end of this fun tête-à-tête, we ask her about what’s more on her plate, and she hilariously responds, “Dinner, meeting my parents, and then going for a drive in DelhI(we laugh out loud). I can only tell you what I am going to do in the next couple of hours, but I’m looking forward to the future!
