People started seeing me in a different light post ‘Maharani’: Huma Qureshi

PTI

Mumbai, March 4

Huma Qureshi believes her OTT show ‘Maharani’, which is coming up with a third season, was the beginning of a new chapter in her journey as an actor.

Qureshi, who made her acting debut with ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ in 2012 and has featured in films such as ‘D-Day’, ‘Dedh Ishqiya’ and ‘Badlapur’, said she could also command a certain fee with the show as she is playing the lead in it.        

“Today, because I’m doing ‘Maharani’ and the show is mounted around my character, I am able to command a certain fee. It is a show that benefited all of us. People started seeing me in a different light.... I can say without hesitation that ‘Maharani’ was the start of a new chapter in my career,” the actor said in an interview.

The first season of ‘Maharani’ featured Qureshi as Rani Bharti, an illiterate woman, who is handpicked by her husband and politician Bheema Bharti (Sohum Shah) to become the chief minister of Bihar after he is shot and injured.

The second season of the show, directed by Ravindra Gautam, saw Rani Bharti go head to head with her husband who is keen to get the power back in his hands and is worried with his wife’s growing popularity as a chief minister. She also has to fight a political rival in Navin Kumar (Amit Sial).

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The upcoming season, directed by Saurabh Bhave, will see Rani Bharti take on her enemies after the murder of her husband. Subhash Kapoor and Nandan Singh serve as showrunners and writers of the show.

Qureshi, 37, believes the third season will be bigger, better and bolder as there is more at stake. The actor said the makers have just scratched the surface of the story.

“There is a lot of potential in the series. There are so many stories. As a country, we are obsessed with politics and everything political. There is a lot that can happen. Right now, we just scratched the surface. There is a lot more to go. Maybe we do seven or 11 seasons. Even if this were to be our last, I will be happy and grateful for all the love we have received,” she said.

The actor said Rani Bharti will remain a memorable character in her filmography.

“I always say that if you get five (memorable) roles in your career as an actor you become a legend, everything else is EMI. One is done (for me), four more to go.” Qureshi, who has featured in a number of women-led projects be it ‘Tarla’, or ‘Double XL’, said a lot of work needs to be done before women can enjoy similar opportunities in the film industry.

“When we talk about female led content, we don’t get as many opportunities as those films and shows aren’t made often. We have to be twice as good as all the other shows or prove a certain kind of invisible benchmark.

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