Huma Qureshi slams Bollywood’s ‘glamorous assassin’ trope

Indian actress Huma Qureshi has criticised Bollywood’s traditional portrayal of female assassins, saying

Indian actress Huma Qureshi has criticised Bollywood’s traditional portrayal of female assassins, saying women in action roles should be shown as strong and realistic characters rather than being presented through a glamorous and sexualised image.

While promoting her latest film Baby Do Die Do, Huma discussed the importance of creating more relatable female characters in Indian cinema. In the film, she plays Baby, a deaf and mute assassin who appears like an ordinary person but has exceptional fighting skills.

Huma said the uniqueness of the character comes from the contrast between her simple appearance and her dangerous abilities. She explained that Baby was designed to look like someone audiences could easily see in everyday life, rather than a typical action heroine with an exaggerated style.

The actress said Bollywood has often shown female assassins wearing tight-fitting outfits and focusing heavily on their appearance. She questioned why women characters in action films are frequently linked with glamour and said such portrayals reflect outdated attitudes.

Huma emphasised that filmmakers should focus on writing stronger and more meaningful roles for women. She said the industry has started moving in the right direction but still needs more progress in creating diverse and powerful female characters.

Baby Do Die Do also marks the first production project from Huma Qureshi and her brother Saqib Saleem’s production banner, Saleem Siblings. Directed by Nachiket Samant, the film features Huma as a female hitwoman and includes a cast of Sikandar Kher, Chunky Panday, Rachit Singh, Marudha Shekhawat, Vidya Malvade, Arun Kushwah and Himanshu Malik.

The movie was released in cinemas on July 3, 2026.