Huma Qureshi has criticised Bollywood's depiction of female assassins and spies.
She flagged the hyper-sexualised tilt of the gaze.
Alia Bhatt-starrer Alpha is a prime example.
Huma Qureshi's Baby Do Die Do, circling a deaf and mute female assassin, is gathering raves for its fresh presentation. In a interview with PTI, the actor spoke about the seeming ordinariness of the character being a sea change from the otherwise unnecessary dolling up for male audiences.
She emphasised that is what made the story of Baby Do Die Do so compelling. It was the fact that her character was a normal-looking woman who turned out to be a deadly killer. She added that the team wanted to summon a relatable character like someone one could easily meet in a Mumbai local train without noticing.
Why Has Alpha Been Criticised?
Bollywood has a long history of depicting female action figures as uber glamorous. Slinky outfits are a major draw, designed for appealing to male audiences. Alia Bhatt's YRF actioner, Alpha, has also come under fire for the same. There's social media backlash against the film for presenting its sturdy, formidable female warriors through the prism of eye candy.
Terming it a misogynist way" of looking at such characters, Huma added, “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.”
The actor underlined that in Baby Do Die, the character's disability is her biggest strength. “I think when you think of people, especially women with disabilities, you almost think of it as a weakness; you almost think of them as a weakness. Here you had a hitwoman, who is lethal and is a weapon of mass destruction. Yet, she has a disability that is actually not her weakness; it is her strongest asset,” she 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,” Huma said. “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.”
