Huma Qureshi reveals parents mistook her first film offer for a “Prostitution Racket": They thought why would somebody cast you?

Huma Qureshi talks about her first film offer

Before Bollywood became Huma Qureshi’s playground, she had to convince the people closest to her that her dreams were real.

The actress, now celebrated for her work in Anurag Kashyap’s gangster saga Gangs of Wasseypur, recalls that her very first film offer was met not with excitement, but with suspicion, so much that her parents genuinely feared it was a “prostitution racket.”

Coming from a family with no ties to films, the idea that someone would offer their daughter a legitimate role in a movie seemed absurd to them.

Huma laughed as she remembered the incredulity and told Mid-day: “My parents didn’t believe it. They thought, why would somebody cast you? I think it was the most audacious thing they had heard. They thought it was a prostitution racket; they were convinced.”

Even in the face of their doubts, Huma’s curiosity and determination pushed her forward. She visited the production office, read the script, and was called in for a screen test the very next day.

The experience, however, came with an unexpected blow—the film was never made. “That made me sad,” she admitted. For someone just stepping into the industry, eager to prove herself, it was a harsh introduction to the highs and lows of showbiz.

Also Read: Twinkle Khanna joins Rajkummar Rao and Tabu in applauding Huma Qureshi’s stellar performances in Maharani 4 and Delhi Crime 3

Looking back now, she can’t help but find the situation amusing. “Now, when I look back, I’m like, you actually had no faith in my ability to gauge anything for myself,” she said.

Even today, she notes, her parents still have little understanding of the film world. “Even now, I don’t think they have too much understanding of the ways of the industry.”

Yet, Huma’s persistence paid off. She eventually gained recognition with Gangs of Wasseypur: Part 2 in 2012 and went on to deliver notable performances in Ek Thi Daayan, Badlapur, and Jolly LLB 2.

Her recent work includes a pivotal role in Maharani Season 4 and a key part alongside Shefali Shah in Delhi Crime Season 3.