Huma Qureshi is an actress of immense calibre and exceptional beauty who made a special place in the hearts of moviegoers with her performances in films like “Gangs of Wasseypur,” “Dedh Ishqiya,” “Badlapur,” and the webseries “Leila” and “Maharani.”
Early Life and Career
Huma Qureshi was born on July 28, 1986, in New Delhi, as Huma Saleem Qureshi. Her father, Saleem Qureshi, is a restaurateur, and her mother, Ameena Qureshi, is a housewife. Her family owns a chain of restaurants called Saleem’s in Delhi. Huma has three brothers: Saqib Saleem, an actor; Naeem Qureshi; and Haseen Qureshi. The family moved to Kalkaji, South Delhi, during her childhood. Huma faced initial resistance from her parents about pursuing acting. Her father suggested an MBA abroad, but Huma’s determination led her to Mumbai.
She completed her bachelor’s degree in history honours from Gargi College, University of Delhi. During her college days, Huma was actively involved in theatre, which laid the foundation for her acting career. She was part of the Act 1 theatre group and honed her skills under the mentorship of N.K. Sharma and Aamir Raza Husain.
In 2008, Huma took the bold step of moving to Mumbai, the heart of India’s film industry, with aspirations of becoming an actress. Her initial days in the city were marked by auditions and modeling gigs. She signed a two-year contract with Hindustan Unilever for television commercials. Her ads for brands like Samsung, Nerolac, and Pears Soap featured stars like Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. During a Samsung mobile ad shoot in 2010, director Anurag Kashyap noticed her. He signed her for a three-film deal with Anurag Kashyap Films.
Huma Qureshi On Screen
Huma’s big break came with Anurag Kashyap’s 2012 crime drama “Gangs of Wasseypur.” Huma played Mohsina, the feisty wife of a Faizal Khan (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). She gave a bold performance in this generational crime saga, which premiered at Cannes. Critics praised her natural charisma, earning her Filmfare nominations for Best Supporting Actress and Best Female Debut.
This marked the beginning of a series of many successful films. In 2012 she starred in Sameer Sharma’s romantic comedy Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana (2012). As Harman, a Punjabi girl, Huma delivered a vibrant performance opposite Kunal Kapoor and got praise for her comedic timing.
One of her other memorable performances came in Kannan Iyer’s Ek Thi Daayan (2013). Huma played a witch in this supernatural thriller with Emraan Hashmi. She then starred in Abhishek Chaubey‘s black comedy Dedh Ishqiya (2014), along with Madhuri Dixit, Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi. In the story Huma and Madhuri’s plot was loosely based on Ismat Chughtai’s pioneering story “Lihaaf,” which deals with lesbian relationships.
The Success
As Jhimli, a prostitute in Badlapur (2015), Huma starred with Varun Dhawan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Directed by Sriram Raghavan, the crime thriller was a commercial hit, earning her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress nomination. Huma debuted in Marathi cinema with Umesh Kulkarni Highway (2015) as a woman navigating personal struggles.
She played Pushpa Pandey in Subhash Kapoor’s courtroom comedy Jolly LLB 2 (2017) opposite Akshay Kumar. The film was a box-office success and became a cult classic for its grounded humor.
Some of her notable performances came in projects like Malayalam film “White (2016),” Gurinder Chadha’s English film “Viceroy’s House (2017),” “Kaala (2021),” “Valimai (2022),” and “Double XL (2022).
Huma On OTT
Her talent transcended borders, and she made her mark in international cinema with projects like the Hollywood film “Army of the Dead.” In this Netflix dystopian series “Liela,” Huma played Shalini, a mother searching for her daughter in a totalitarian regime. The series also stars Siddharth, Rahul Khanna, Sanjay Suri and Arif Zakaria. Her intense portrayal, directed by Deepa Mehta, received praise for its emotional depth.
Huma stars as Rani Bharti, a reluctant political leader, in the Sony LIV series “Maharani.” Her nuanced performance in the Subhash Kapoor-directed political drama based in Bihar, earned her a Filmfare OTT Award for Best Actress. Huma also starred in Mithya (2022), a psychological thriller drama streaming on ZEE5.
Huma continues to challenge herself with diverse roles. Huma played a cunning corporate executive in this Netflix black comedy “Monica, O My Darling (2022)“. Her glamorous, scheming role opposite Rajkummar Rao was lauded for its boldness
She also starred in biographical drama “Tarla (2023),” based on the life of chef, and cookbook author Tarla Dalal. She has not only proven her mettle as an actress but also as a voice that resonates with a contemporary audience. More recently she acted in Maalik (2025) with Rajkummar Rao, Prosenjit Chatterjee and Manushi Chhillar.
Huma Qureshi on IMDB
