In a candid conversation with Editor-in-Chief, Brut India, Mehak Kasbekar on The Other Side podcast, actor Huma Qureshi spoke about representation, visibility for female-driven stories, and how the industry still views women-led films differently.
The conversation took place at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where Huma returned for the fourth time.
The Performance That Announced A New Talent
Huma Qureshi made her film debut in 2012 with Gangs Of Wasseypur, directed by Anurag Kashyap.
Her performance immediately stood out. Unlike many actors who begin with conventional commercial roles, Huma entered the industry through a gritty crime drama that later became one of the most influential Hindi films of its generation.
Since then, she has built a career that moves across genres and formats. Her filmography includes projects such as Badlapur, Jolly LLB 2, Maharani and Tarla.
Rather than staying within one lane, she has worked in mainstream cinema, independent films and streaming projects.
Choosing Creativity Over A Formula
One of the most revealing parts of her Cannes conversation was her description of how she approaches her career.
Huma said that when she started out, people often told her she did not fit the image of a mainstream Hindi film heroine.
Instead of accepting those limitations, she decided to challenge them.
According to her, every stage of her career came with advice about the "correct" path to success. But she never wanted to follow a blueprint simply because someone else had done it before.
She described herself as someone driven by creativity first. Whether that means working in a different language, collaborating with an unconventional filmmaker or taking on a project that does not fit a traditional movie-star trajectory, she prefers to make choices based on artistic curiosity.
That approach has helped her build a career that looks very different from the standard Bollywood playbook.
What Kind Of Cinema Does Huma Believe In?
At Cannes, Huma spoke about the importance of international film festivals in an increasingly algorithm-driven entertainment landscape.
She argued that countries should not isolate themselves creatively, even if they have strong domestic film industries.
For her, festivals create space for stories that are rooted in local cultures but connect through universal emotions.
She said the future of cinema should be "hyperlocal" in setting and perspective while dealing with themes that travel across borders.
It is a philosophy that mirrors many of the projects she has chosen. Several of her films are deeply Indian in context but explore experiences that audiences anywhere can understand, from ambition and family conflict to identity and resilience.
The Fight For Women-Led Films
Huma also addressed an issue that continues to shape the film industry: the treatment of female-led projects.
She said a bias still exists around women-oriented films.
According to her, these projects often struggle to secure the same budgets that male-star vehicles receive because of assumptions about their box-office potential.
While the industry may not express those views openly anymore, she believes the bias remains part of how films are financed and positioned.
For Huma, the solution is persistence.
She pointed out that several female actors are continuing to push for stronger roles, bigger projects and more opportunities, not only for themselves but also for the next generation of performers.
She also expressed hope that India will create more original female-forward stories rather than relying on remakes.
Cinema, AI And Responsibility
Huma's views on the future of storytelling extend beyond films.
She acknowledged the growing influence of artificial intelligence but argued that AI should function as a tool rather than a replacement for human creativity.
In her view, technology can help filmmakers reduce costs and improve production, but storytelling itself must remain human.
She also spoke about the pressure actors face to comment on social and political issues.
While she believes every person has a responsibility towards society, she noted that public figures often face a different challenge. Comments can be taken out of context and reduced to clickbait headlines, making honest conversations more difficult.
Still Doing It Her Own Way
More than a decade after her debut, Huma Qureshi remains difficult to categorise.
She has worked across commercial films, independent cinema and streaming platforms. She appears on international festival circuits while continuing to work in mainstream Indian entertainment.
At Cannes 2026, her message was simple: artists should not be limited by expectations.
For Huma, success has never been about fitting into an existing mould. It has been about proving that there is more than one way to build a career in Indian cinema.
