BH OTT Fest 2025: Huma Qureshi confesses she became a producer “out of necessity” due to lack of opportunities; says, “An actor is like a daily wage labourer” 2025 : Bollywood News

Actor Huma Qureshi opened up about her decision to step into film production during an exclusive conversation with Rajeev Masand, COO of Dharma Cornerstone Agency and former film critic, at Bollywood Hungama’s BH OTT India Fest 2025. The session, titled The Power of Performances – Decoding Huma’s Artist Code, saw the actor speak candidly about why producing films became a necessity rather than a career expansion.

BH OTT Fest 2025: Huma Qureshi confesses she became a producer “out of necessity” due to lack of opportunities; says, “An actor is like a daily wage labourer”

BH OTT Fest 2025: Huma Qureshi confesses she became a producer “out of necessity” due to lack of opportunities; says, “An actor is like a daily wage labourer”Explaining what pushed her towards producing, Huma said it stemmed from a lack of opportunities that aligned with her artistic instincts. “Lack of opportunity, lack of sometimes wanting to do artistically a story that you really want to do, but you don’t know who’s going to make it,” she shared. Drawing a stark comparison, she added, “You know an actor is like a daily wage labourer. You have to go to people and ask them for work. And if they think you’re skilled enough, you get the part.”

Huma revealed that producing gave her the agency to create the kind of work she wanted to be part of. “So I turned producer out of necessity more than anything else,” she said, explaining how she often encountered strong ideas that lacked the right backing. “So many people come to you with great ideas… but you feel like they don’t have the right people making it or the money to raise it or the right studio or just the access to so many rooms.”

She also spoke about learning the ropes of production alongside her brother Saqib Saleem. “Both Saqib and I now, in fact, we’ve just made our third film, which will come out next year. And we are first generation producers. We learn on the job,” Huma said, acknowledging the challenges that come with the territory. “We made a lot of mistakes, we will make a lot of mistakes, but it’s okay, because we are here. This is what we’re gonna do, and we’re gonna keep making film after film after film.”

Emphasising the humility the process brings, Huma noted that producing changes an actor’s perspective entirely. “It teaches you so much and I think a lot of actors will sort of get off their high horse,” she remarked, adding that understanding audiences better is key. “Ultimately what we’re doing is for you.”

The Bollywood Hungama OTT India Fest and India Entertainment Awards are presented by SleepZ by Raymond, co-powered by Fima, Carlo Frattini, and Amante in association with Helios, Style Partner: Rare Rabbit, Lovestory Partner: Truly Madly, Stylish Furniture Partner: Urban Ladder, with healthcare partner: HCG, skincare partner: Fixderma, Spirituality partner: Satvik, conversation partner: Bevzilla, gourmet dessert partner: Smoor, nutrition partner: The Naturik Co., radio partner: Radio City and celebration partner: Heineken Silver.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Huma Qureshi calls Yash starrer Toxic ‘India’s biggest film’, says it will blow people away