Huma Qureshi was pitched her Delhi Crime S3 villain role as 'Batman vs Joker': She does some horrible things | Interview

Huma Qureshi talks about playing a human trafficking kingpin in Delhi Crime S3, and why the role is akin to Joker from DC.

The third season of Netflix’s Delhi Crime is set to release this month. The show’s trailer, unveiled on Tuesday, introduced Huma Qureshi as this season’s powerful antagonist, Meena. In a conversation with Hindustan Times, Huma describes the character as ‘exciting, and dark,’ revealing what led her to say yes to it.

Huma Qureshi with Sayani Gupta in a still from Delhi Crime S3.

Meena, aka Badi didi, is a trafficker in Delhi Crime S3 with hardly any redeeming qualities. “I don’t judge it,” says Huma, while talking about her character. “As an actor, when you play something, your job is not to judge.”

‘Am I playing a cop?’

In a career that has spanned almost a decade and a half, Huma has never done a role so negative. She recalls being offered the role, “When Tanuj (Chopra) and Apoorva (Bakshi, the showrunners) approached me, I said yes immediately because I am a big fan of the franchise. I asked her, ‘Am I playing a cop?’ And she said no. I thought that because I played Rani Bharti (in Maharani), those kinds of righteous characters would come my way. But as an actor, I was excited because I had not done such a dark character.”

For the first time, Delhi Crime gives the antagonist almost as much power and stature as the protagonist, DCP (now DIG) Vartika Chaturvedi (played by Shefali Shah). The season is built as a face-off between the two, and Huma says the makers were consciously going for that. “The way this was pitched to me was ‘this is Batman vs Joker’. And of course, every actor wants to be Batman, and which actor would not want to be Joker? So, we can’t say no to this proposition,” she says with a laugh.

‘I want to be the most hated woman in the show’

Huma knows that the role will leave a mark on the audience, and is hopeful it’s in the right manner. “I want to be loved as the most hated woman in this show, because she does some really horrible things, which I don’t approve of or stand for as an individual,” says the actor.

Delhi Crime season 3 also stars Rasika Dugal, Rajesh Tailang, Sayani Gupta, Mita Vashisht, Anshumaan Pushkar, and Kelly Dorji. Directed by Tanuj Chopra, the popular show returns to Netflix on 13 November.