North vs South cinema debate great for only clickbait: Huma Qureshi

Dismissing the ongoing North versus South cinema debate, actress Huma Qureshi has said rather than engaging in these ‘petty’ divisions, the Indian film industry should unite to create its own versions of hit global franchises like Avatar, Squid Game and Money Heist.

According to Qureshi, there is one film industry in India and anyone who has an understanding of creativity or market economics would recognise that it’s advantageous for every artiste across the country. “It is such a silly debate; we are one country. A Drishyam is loved across the entire country. We need to find storytellers from all over the nation. Today with the way the world is growing, our focus should be on what local, specific Indian stories we want to take globally. Like, where is the Squid Game from India? Why can’t we make our version of Avatar?

“These are the questions that should be asked. The whole industry should come together to answer them, as opposed to being engaged in these petty, divided conversations about which industry is taking over. I feel it’s a rubbish debate—great for clickbait, but there’s no reality to it,” Huma said on the sidelines of the recently concluded Kerala Literature Festival.

Having worked in South Indian films herself, including two Tamil movies— Rajinikanth’s Kaala (2018) and Ajith’s Valimai (2022) — as well as the Malayalam romantic drama White (2016) with Mammootty, Qureshi said cross-pollination of artistes from the North and South is not a new phenomenon. “I have been fortunate enough to have worked in the South and I hope to get more opportunities because you get to learn so much,” she added. The 38-year-old made her debut as an author last year with the fantasy fiction novel Zeba: An Accidental Superhero.