Huma Qureshi on working with Gurinder Chadha: There were teething troubles

Huma Qureshi; (inset) Gurinder Chadha

Huma Qureshi; (inset) Gurinder Chadha

"A lot of Bollywood celebrities are going global, and that's a good sign," gushes Huma Qureshi, the latest to dive into Bollywood's widening cross-over star pool with Gurinder Chadha's 'Viceroy's House'. The actress, known for experimenting with roles, insists she was resolute that "going international" would not be a cameo or a sympathy role.

"Indians were stereotyped earlier, but that's not the case anymore. Instead of cameos and sidekick roles, Indian actors are getting prominent roles in the West. I was always clear that I would not be doing any cameos, but a film if I could contribute to it (substantially)," she says.

Working with Gurinder was an enriching yet daunting experience for her. Recalling the first day of the shoot, Huma says, "She wanted us to be in character 24/7 for two months. I was taken aback because I am an instinctive actor and can get in and out of my character easily.

I told her after an intense scene that I would like to be goofy, jump around and have some fun. For the first week, she was a little upset since she expected me to stay in the zone. So, there were teething troubles, but eventually, we both enjoyed working with each other."

The actress adds that Gurinder was particular about the diction, so she insisted that the actress meet Jaya Thadani, an interpreter from the Partition era. "I flew to London to meet Jayaji, who had many interesting anecdotes to share about Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. It was inspirational and helped me get my characterisation

Huma's next ambition is to share screen space with Oscar-winning Hollywood star Lenoardo DiCaprio. "I can happily retire after I work with him," she says.