Snehashish roy
Actor Huma Qureshi has criticised the way female assassins and action heroes are often portrayed in Bollywood, saying women in such roles are frequently presented through a “hyper-sexualised” lens instead of being depicted as believable characters. The actor shared her views while discussing her latest film Baby Do Die Do, in which she plays a deaf and mute assassin.
In an interview with PTI, Huma said the film was an attempt to break away from conventional portrayals of female action characters. She explained that her character was intentionally designed to look like an ordinary woman who could easily blend into a crowd rather than someone whose appearance was built around glamour or stylised action imagery. According to the actor, that relatability is what makes the character unique.
Speaking about the representation of women in action films, Huma said Bollywood often portrays female assassins in tight-fitting outfits and with an emphasis on physical appearance. She described this approach as a “misogynistic” way of looking at such characters and said the tendency stems from patriarchal thinking. According to Huma, there is no reason why women in action-oriented roles should always be presented in a sexualised manner.
The actor said Baby Do Die Do deliberately moves away from that formula. Her character, Baby Karmarkar, is portrayed as an everyday woman who happens to be a trained killer. Huma said the intention was to create someone audiences could imagine encountering in a Mumbai local train without drawing attention, making her transformation into an assassin more striking.
Huma also expressed hope that the film would encourage filmmakers to write more layered and unconventional action roles for women. She said she wanted audiences to see that female-led action stories need not rely on glamour or stereotypes to be engaging. Instead, she believes authentic characters and compelling storytelling should take precedence over appearance.
The discussion comes at a time when Bollywood is witnessing a growing number of women-led action films. Alongside Baby Do Die Do, the recently released spy thriller Alpha, starring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari, has also brought female action protagonists into focus. While acknowledging the growing space for women-centric action stories, Huma suggested there is still room for the industry to rethink how such characters are visually represented.
Directed by Nachiket Samant, Baby Do Die Do follows the story of Baby Karmarkar, a deaf and mute contract killer navigating a dangerous criminal world. The film also stars Sikandar Kher and Chunky Panday in key roles. Besides playing the lead, Huma has also produced the film under the Saleem Siblings banner, which she launched with her brother Saqib Saleem.
The actor has described the role as one of the most challenging of her career because it required her to communicate almost entirely through expressions and body language. Without spoken dialogue, Huma relied on physical performance to convey the emotions and motivations of her character throughout the film.
Known for choosing unconventional roles in projects such as Gangs of Wasseypur and the web series Maharani, Huma said she hopes Baby Do Die Do contributes to a wider change in the way women are written in Hindi cinema. She added that female action characters can be strong, complex and believable without conforming to stereotypical ideas of glamour, and expressed hope that more filmmakers will explore diverse representations of women in the action genre.