Actor-producer Huma Qureshi is once again breaking stereotypes, this time by playing a deaf and mute assassin who looks nothing like your typical Bollywood action heroine in her new thriller Baby Do Die Do.
Known for picking unconventional roles in Gangs of Wasseypur and the hit series Maharani, Huma says her latest character ‘Baby’ is intentionally “regular and normal looking” — someone you could easily bump into on a Mumbai local train without giving her a second glance.
In a conversation with PTI, Huma explained why that ordinariness is the point. “The fact that she is so normal and yet such a lethal killer is what makes it such an interesting tale. We wanted to make a very relatable character,” she said.
She also opened up about Bollywood’s long-standing habit of turning women assassins into glam dolls. “In the past, and even very recently, female action characters have been shown in tight-fitting clothes with hyper sexualised imagery. It’s a very misogynist way of looking at these roles. I think it comes from patriarchy,” Huma said.
As both actor and producer on Baby Do Die Do, Huma hopes the film pushes writers to create more layered parts for women. “There’s definitely a step in the right direction,” she noted.
The film also flips another narrative by making the lead’s disability her power. “We usually see disability, especially in women, as a weakness. But here you have a hitwoman who is a weapon of mass destruction, and her disability is actually her strongest asset,” Huma added.
