Huma Qureshi calls out online misbehaviour, says digital abuse must be punished like street harassment

Huma also highlighted how many men assume that inappropriate behaviour online is harmless, even though it violates a person’s dignity just the same.

Actress Huma Qureshi has opened up about how the word “feminism” is often viewed negatively recently.

The actor, who is currently enjoying the appreciation coming her way for her performances in Delhi Crime Season 3 and Maharani Season 4, spoke about the subject during a conversation on the latest episode of The Male Feminist.

While discussing feminism, Huma said, “Mujhe na aisa lagta he ki feminism ye jo word he isko bohot negative bana rahe hein. Misconstrue ho raha he. Being a feminist- male or female, is not a bad thing. It is a very good thing (I feel like the word 'feminism' is being made very negative. It’s getting misconstrued. Being a feminist — whether you’re a man or a woman — is not a bad thing. It’s actually a very good thing.)”

She further explained the core idea behind feminism, adding, “Hum kya baat kar rahe he, hum bol rahe he yaar sabko equal opportunities do, sabko normal treat karo, ladka ho ya ladko ho agar aap ko ek tareeke se rakha jayega, kuch opportunity di jayegi, nahi di jayegi… toh apki soch waisi hi ban jayegi (What are we really talking about? We’re simply saying: give everyone equal opportunities, treat everyone normally. Whether it’s a boy or a girl, if you are treated in a certain way, if you are given some opportunities or denied them… then your thinking will naturally be shaped by that.)”

Huma also highlighted how many men assume that inappropriate behaviour online is harmless, even though it violates a person’s dignity just the same.

Also read: Huma Qureshi reveals how a sassy comment to Anurag Kashyap helped her land ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’; says, 'I got paid Rs 65000'

She said, “You are slipping into my DMs and sending me dirty pictures or writing dirty comments on my post, toh aapko bhi wahi saza milni chahiye jo kisi ko badtameezi on the road pe milti hai,” making it clear that online misconduct should be treated with the same seriousness as misbehaviour in public.

On the professional front, Huma recently Delhi Crime Season 3, where she played the powerful and menacing character Badi Didi, who runs a human trafficking network. Both shows are streaming on Netflix.