Deepa Mehta inspired Huma Qureshi to believe in herself, and their collaboration, Leila, opened the door for her to collaborate with Zack Snyder on Army of the Dead.
Deepa Mehta was the individual who convinced Huma Qureshi that she would not “bore the audience.” Huma collaborated with Deepa on the Netflix series Leila, in which Deepa portrayed the title character.
Deepa helmed the series’ first two episodes. For the six-part series, Urmi Juvekar adapted the 2017 novel by Prataag Akbar. It detailed a mother’s quest for her missing child amid a dystopian landscape.
Huma told ETimes, “After working with Deepa Mehta on the program Leila, my perspective shifted significantly. It was a pivotal moment. Khoon cheikh Liya Maine (I tasted blood). The delight of leading a project is both terrifying and empowering. And she handed me that. Deepa convinced me that I am capable of carrying an entire show and being in every frame without boring the audience. She convinced me that I could succeed. When a chance arises, you seize it with both hands.” She also stated that the project allowed her to collaborate with Hollywood heavyweights such as Zack Snyder. In 2021, Huma made her Hollywood debut alongside Zack in Army of the Dead.
Huma Qureshi remarked, “This is Huma Qureshi 2.0 after Leila, in which she landed several excellent starring roles. I wish to refer to it as such without appearing conceited. I am not the same individual I was in the past. I am attempting to take a new approach. The braver you are as an actor, the more this industry and public will reward you.”
Huma Qureshi just wrapped production on Tarla. It is a biopic of the well-known culinary writer and chef Tarla Dalal, directed by first-time filmmaker Piyush Gupta. Tarla is widely recognized as the host of the popular cooking television programs The Tarla Dalal Show and Cook It Up With Tarla Dalal. In 2007, she received the Padma Shri for her contributions to cookbooks. Ronnie Screwvala, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, and Nitesh Tiwari produce Tarla.
Huma has the upcoming film Double XL, which also stars Sonakshi Sinha. She is also working on the Netflix feature Monica O My Darling directed by Vasan Bala, as well as the second season of her SonyLIV series Maharani.
