Actor Huma Qureshi, who is seen in a negative role in the third season of “Delhi Crime”, says it was a conscious effort to steer clear of the “filmy villain” archetype.
In the show, which premiered on Netflix on November 13, Qureshi steps into the complex shoes of Meena, also known as Badi Didi, a powerful figure within a human trafficking network.
The new season, directed by Tanuj Chopra, brought back series regulars Shefali Shah as DIG Vartika Chaturvedi, Rasika Dugal as Neeti Singh and Rajesh Tailang as Bhupendra Singh.
Qureshi, known for her work in “Gangs of Wasseypur”, “Badlapur”, and “Monica, O My Darling”, said she instantly jumped at the idea of playing an out-an-out negative role.
“I've done grey characters, I enjoy playing slightly grey characters. But this is dark, like as dark as it can go, and divinely so. I’ve been told by my cast members, ‘Do evil parts’. So, I’m taking that as a compliment from all these lovely talented people, who I so admire. I had a lot of fun.
"We did think about the choices we made, whether it was trying to use Haryanvi because we wanted to make it a very real person, and not just a cardboard kind of a filmy villain,” the 39-year-old actor told PTI in an interview.
Qureshi said she along with her director explored different dimensions of the character like how she grooms young girls.
Traditional narratives often relegate women in negative roles as sidekicks like the gangster’s moll, but Qureshi's Meena is the mastermind behind the whole operation that cops want to dismantle.
“I approached her the same way, I would approach any character, she is a survivor, a hustler, a business woman, and wants to do the best for herself, she comes from a certain place, she wants to get out of it.
"So, there was no judgement when I was approaching her, she just happened to do this. The brutality of what she is doing, she is immune to it because she has seen too much of it when she was a child. That's the back story we kind of built together, that she is just numb to it, it’s just normal,” she added.
For Qureshi filming for “Delhi Crime 3” was a challenge. She recounts a particularly exhausting 48-hour work period, where she transitioned between sets with barely any sleep.
The actor further said she feels blessed to have the ability to switch in and out of character seamlessly, and added that preparation is the key to play any role.
“I’m fortunately one of those people, like I don't need to be in the zone, or listen to music, or put on a particular perfume, I just need to have 10 seconds of silence before my shot, and I’m fine.
"I feel more than a process, my homework should be done way before I get on the set, which is reading the script multiple times, and understanding what I am doing. And then between action and cut, not trying to hold myself back, and surrender to the moment,” the actor added.
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