Huma Qureshi and Saqib Saleem recently shared insights into their journey to Bollywood, revealing how their parents, restaurateur Saleem and Ameena Qureshi, initially had doubts about their acting aspirations, with their mother even turning down her own shot at fame.
A Surprising Leap into Showbiz
For Saleem and Ameena Qureshi, the news that two of their four children wanted to pursue film acting came as a complete surprise. The family wasn’t connected to the film industry, and they didn’t even live in Mumbai, Bollywood’s hub.
Hailing from Delhi and Kashmir respectively, the parents were naturally shocked and scared. Despite their initial reservations, they eventually supported Huma and Saqib’s dreams, allowing them to move to Mumbai.
Huma Qureshi recalled her mother’s specific fears about them navigating Mumbai without any industry contacts. “Both our parents were very scared, wondering how we would survive,” she shared with filmmaker Farah Khan on her vlog. Huma was the first to express her desire to act, with Saqib following suit six months later.
Parental Doubts: A Universal Experience
Saqib Saleem recounted a conversation with his father, who questioned his ambition directly. “When I told papa that I wished to go to Bombay, he sat down, looked at me and said, ‘Tujhe hero banna jana hai (you want to become a hero)?'” Saqib admitted his father’s skepticism made him doubt his decision for ten days.
Farah Khan offered a comforting anecdote, revealing that even legendary writer Salim Khan had similar initial doubts about his son, Salman Khan. “Salim Khan had the same doubt about Salman Khan and now he’s bhai,” she stated, instantly boosting Saqib’s spirits.
A Bollywood Dream Deferred: Ameena Qureshi’s Story
Farah Khan couldn’t help but notice Ameena’s striking beauty, playfully asking if she had ever considered acting. Ameena, quick-witted, jokingly asked Farah to launch her, inquiring about her next project. Farah humorously dodged the question, feigning an urgent call.
It turns out Ameena Qureshi had indeed received acting offers in the past. Saqib revealed that YRF’s casting director, Shanoo Sharma, even called their mother twice. One notable offer was for the 2014 film “Daawat-e-Ishq,” where she was considered to play Parineeti Chopra’s mother.
However, Ameena turned down the roles. Huma explained her mother’s reasoning: she simply didn’t want to portray “another person’s mother.” Saqib light-heartedly quipped that their mother would only agree to be Amitabh Bachchan’s heroine.
A Strict Upbringing
During the conversation, Huma and Saqib also reminisced about their childhood. They both agreed their mother, Ameena, was quite strict and often disciplined them with a few hits while they were growing up.
“She used to beat us a lot,” Huma admitted, adding a humorous take for parents: “If you think your beating will change your children, it won’t. Look at us. They only get worse.”
- Huma Qureshi and Saqib Saleem’s parents were initially surprised and cautious about their children pursuing acting due to their lack of industry connections.
- Farah Khan drew a parallel between Saqib’s father’s doubts and Salim Khan’s initial skepticism about Salman Khan.
- Their mother, Ameena Qureshi, had her own acting offers, including a role in ‘Daawat-e-Ishq,’ but declined as she didn’t want to play a mother and joked about only acting opposite Amitabh Bachchan.
This candid conversation offers a glimpse into the family dynamics and the initial hurdles faced by many aspiring actors, even those from supportive homes.
