‘Women have to be in tight-fitting clothes...’ Huma Qureshi calls out bollywood’s stereotypes

Huma Qureshi believes Bollywood is ready to move beyond the familiar stereotypes attached to female action roles. The actor, who plays a deaf and mute assassin in ‘Baby Do Die Do’, has said she hopes the film encourages filmmakers to create more realistic and layered women characters instead of relying on glamour and clichés.

Speaking about her latest role, Huma also criticised the industry's long-standing tendency to portray female assassins through a hyper-sexualised lens, saying such depictions are rooted in patriarchal thinking.

A hitwoman who looks like an everyday person

In ‘Baby Do Die Do’, Huma plays Baby, a contract killer who does not fit the usual image of an action heroine seen in Hindi films.

Rather than dressing the character in glamorous outfits or making her larger than life, the makers chose to present Baby as someone who could easily go unnoticed in a crowd.

Explaining the idea behind the character, Huma said, "The fact that she is so normal and regular looking and yet such a lethal killer is what makes it such an interesting tale… We just wanted to make a very relatable character. Baby is somebody you just meet in a Mumbai local and not bat an eyelid."

She added that she hopes the film encourages writers to explore more diverse roles for women.

"I think there could be a lot more change when it comes to writing better parts. There's definitely a step in the right direction," she said.

'It is coming from patriarchy'

Huma also spoke about how female assassins are often portrayed in mainstream cinema.

According to the actor, women in action roles are frequently shown wearing tight-fitting clothes and presented in a way that places more emphasis on their appearance than their abilities.

She believes this approach reflects a patriarchal mindset and argued that women do not need to be sexualised to be seen as strong, dangerous or convincing on screen.

"That women have to be in these tight-fitting clothes, hyper sexualised sort of imagery to be able to be assassins. I think it is coming from patriarchy," she said.

About ‘Baby Do Die Do’

‘Baby Do Die Do’ is the first production from Saleem Siblings, the banner launched by Huma Qureshi and her brother Saqib Saleem.

The film also marks Huma's turn as what has been described as India's first on-screen female hitwoman.

Alongside Huma, the cast includes Sikandar Kher, Chunky Panday, Rachit Singh, Marudha Shekhawat, Vidya Malvade, Arun Kushwah, and Himanshu Malik.

Directed by Nachiket Samant, ‘Baby Do Die Do’ was released in theatres on 3 July 2026.