Don't want to repeat myself on screen: Huma Qureshi on her career graph

Huma said that she treats acting as a nine-to-five job that is merely a part of her life

Actor Huma Qureshi, who played a cop in the recently-released Tamil movie Valimai and a Hindi professor in the web series Mithya, says that she wants to avoid doing similar roles in order to avoid being typecast. She feels that this is what drew her to the action-thiller, which marked the first time she played a police officer on the big screen. The star revealed that she enjoyed working with Ajith Kumar in the biggie as he is a humble person. Huma also spoke about her latest web series Mithya, an adaptation of Cheat.

Edited excerpts from the interview with DH:

What made you take up Valimai?

I was looking to return to Tamil cinema after Kaala when this happened. I liked the director's vision. Moreover, I had never played a female cop before. The response has been thunderous.

How did you prepare for your role in the movie?

I intensified my kickboxing sessions and practiced my punches to do the action scenes better. We shot in the blazing sun, which was a challenging experience as I could not open my eyes. Valimai was a refreshing project in some ways as women are not usually seen in such an action-packed role.

Tell us a bit about the experience of working with Ajith.

It was a phenomenal experience. He is a simple person, who has not allowed stardom to affect him. I have never met a humbler person than him. We spoke about bikes and spirituality. He was a lot of old-world qualities. He would always pull (out) a chair whenever a girl entered the room.

You received praise for your work in Mithya.

I modelled the role on one of my professors from school, a person everyone loved. This character looks perfect on the outside but comes across as conflicted on the inside. My Hindi is quite good as I grew up in the North and did theatre. This kind of role came in handy.

Do you plan to do more web series than films going forward?

You will see me in both as I have a balanced lineup. There are so many avenues for us as performers. I want to do new things to entertain my audience. The idea is to avoid repeating things.

How easy is it for you to juggle between projects and diverse characters?

I treat acting as a nine-to-five job and don't really carry characters home. I feel that the work I do is in no way more glorious or special than what others do, Some people work using the strength of muscles while others on the basis of their muscles. Similarly, I have the strength or power of creativity. If my father can come back home after work and still be my father, I must do the same. I can't make it all about my work.

Which character is closest to your personality?

None of them are like me as I am a goofy person.

Any dream roles?

I want to play a warrior queen type of character at some point in my character.