May 27, 2017
Huma Qureshi says "feminism is first
seen as a dirty word", but the attitude towards it is slowly changing.
The actress, who spoke about representation of women in media and
gender equality at the UN headquarters in New York in March, feels
feminism stands for equality for many.
"I think worldwide, feminism was first seen as a dirty word. But now
feminism is seen as a word which is about equality. This is about
giving equal options to everyone. India is no different from the west.
We also looked at it in a certain way and now it is completely
different," Huma told IANS over phone from Mumbai.
When it comes to gender disparity at work place, Huma said: "More women
in workspace means more security for women. I am all for that. I think
things are changing slowly, but surely they are changing for the
better."
From "Gangs of Wasseypur", "Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana", "Ek Thi
Daayan", "Dedh Ishqiya" to "Jolly LLB 2", Huma takes up strong female
characters in films. And it doesn't happen by fluke.
"It is a part conscious and part luck. I want to see interesting and
strong characters and I am lucky enough that the directors and makers
are doing such kind of projects with me. So it is a a mix of all."
After doing some short films, Huma, who hails from Delhi, came into
spotlight with Anurag Kashyap's dark thriller "Gangs of Wasseypur -
Part 2" in 2012. Since then, it has been a case of hit and miss in
Bollywood.
She has delivered hits like "Ek Thi Daayan", "Badlapur" and "Jolly LLB
2", but failed to generate the expected response with films like "Dedh
Ishqiya" and "D-Day". The films might have missed hitting the spot at
the box office, but she made the right noises with her performances.
At the moment, Huma is looking forward to horror film "Dobaara: See
Your Evil", in which she features with her brother Saqib Saleem.
Directed by Prawaal Raman, the film also features Lisa Ray, Adil
Hussain among others and is slated to release on June 2.
Talking about the film, Huma said: "It is a very special film because
we are acting together for the first time. We never thought that we
will get an opportunity to act in a film together so early in our
career. We are very excited about that."
Huma says shooting with her brother was different.
"Saqib is very sensitive as a co-star. He is very involved with
everything and hard working. It was a great pleasure to work with him.
I discovered new aspects to Saqib's personality that I didn't know. I
understand him better as a co-star than a sister."
"Dobaara: See Your Evil" is an official remake of the Hollywood film
"Oculus", which released in 2013. The Mike Fangan supernatural
psychological horror film stars Karen Gillan and Brenton Thwaites.
It revolves around a young woman who is convinced that an antique
mirror is responsible for the death and misfortune that her family
suffered.
The actress says it is better to go for official adaptation than just
lifting ideas without crediting the source.
"We are very proud that we did not steal it. A lot of people lift ideas
from a lot stories and try to pass it on as their own," she said.
Huma is also excited for filmmaker Gurinder Chadha's "Viceroy's House",
which is yet to release in India.
There are also reports of her being roped in to play superstar
Rajinikanth's love interest in a new project, but she prefers to remain
mum on it. The makers will give out a statement soon, she said.