Showing posts with label Baby Do Die Do. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baby Do Die Do. Show all posts
Shaadi jab honi hogi tab ho jayegi-Huma Qureshi
4:26 PM
Sonal Kalra (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 7, 2026)
Huma Qureshi has lately made headlines on both the personal and professional fronts. While she turned producer with recently released Baby Do Die Do, which clashed with Alia Bhatt’s Alpha in theatres, her appearances with actor and acting coach Rachit Singh have also fuelled wedding speculation.
Qureshi, however, says marriage will have to wait. “You and my mum have the same questions! I don’t have an answer to when the wedding is going to happen. Shaadi jab honi hogi tab ho jayegi; I have a lot of work to do. This is a very busy year and, right now, I am just focusing on that.”
How big a risk was turning producer? “It is a high-risk, high-reward business. It is exciting because you get to be the creator and keeper of your IP. I feel every creative person should produce a film once to understand the entire process.
As an actor, your job is largely in front of the camera. A producer, however, is responsible for everything needed to make a project happen. Sometimes, even somebody’s temperament becomes your problem.
It is a humbling experience and teaches you the value of time, money and professionalism. At the same time, the risk involved is considerable.
As actors, we are dependent on other people to hire us. Saqib (Saleem, brother- actor) and I are not cribbers, and we do not like playing victims over the roles we are not getting. The only option was to create opportunities for ourselves.
Saleem Siblings is our little brother-sister cottage industry, through which we hope to create interesting projects with like-minded people. We may not have mammoth budgets, but not every story needs Rs. 150 crore to be made. Some stories need only a fraction of that amount and can still be engaging. Baby Do Die Do is now in its fifth weekend and continues to get shows. I keep sharing whenever a show goes houseful in any part of the country.”
How have your recent trips to Delhi been and what keeps bringing you back to the city?
Delhi, of course, is home. I have spent my entire life there. So I don’t need an excuse to come back. But when I was there recently to promote Baby Do Die Do, I toured with the film. We went to theatres to ask people, ‘What do you think of the film?’ These were all surprise visits. So, sometimes I would just bump into an old friend from college or an aunty who used to be my neighbour.
We’ve loved watching your funny Reels, especially the ones where you and your dad pull each other’s leg. How did he react to Baby Do Die Do?
As a family, it’s been surreal. My dad runs a restaurant business in Delhi for almost 50 years, called Salim’s. My mum’s been a housewife. And we have grown up in a Punjabi part of Delhi, so I identify as a Punjabi. For us, even becoming actors was a huge leap. To have taken that step, and found success with the grace of God, and now become first-generation producers is a very strange feeling.
These days, producers take pride in saying, ‘My film is worth Rs. 800 crores or Rs. 900 crores’. How much pressure does it create for people who want to tell small, meaningful stories?
I don’t take that pressure. Firstly, because I don’t have Rs. 800-900 crores to make movies. Secondly, I feel like films take too much pressure of the opening weekend box office number. Oftentimes, the industry figures are inflated ones. I don’t know who are we trying to impress. At times, it is just to create a sort of perception of how bankable a film or a particular star is. So, I don’t take them too seriously. The conversation has to shift beyond numbers to the content itself. When I was growing up, I didn’t know how much films made at the box office, but I remember those scenes and songs that had a deep impact on me. For me, my metric would be ‘Hey, did you go a second time and watch the film? Or would you recommend it to another friend? Would you talk about it?’
It’s lovely to see this recognition come your way, especially when you speak so passionately about the film. Sadly, the whole chatter around, ‘kitne ki opening lagi?’, ‘aapko toh OTT mein chale jaana chahiye,’ and ‘itna bada risk le rahe ho’ continues...
This is very unhealthy. OTT mein... Arre, kyun? Somebody recently said to me, ‘Kuch films toh OTT ke liye hoti hain’. I replied, ‘Are you trying to say only people with pots and pots of money should be allowed to make theatrical films? And everybody else should just do OTT? If this happens, then a lot of movies wouldn’t get made, and a lot of new voices and people wouldn’t be discovered.’
Regarding your recent presence at the students’ protests… There must be people who would’ve warned you that it was risky, that it could be connected as a way to promote your film, or simply advised you to stay away. What made you negate those voices?
I would be lying if I said it didn’t cross my mind. We were in Delhi, and it just didn’t feel right for us not to go there and stand in solidarity. We didn’t take a single picture or inform any media. We quietly went at 2 am and just sat there... I am not aligned to any political party or movement, but I felt really bad for those students... I chose not to make a statement about it because people have a way of like misinterpreting it.
Do you feel that your profession sometimes takes away your right as a citizen to do and say whatever you want to?
I am very conscious of the fact that because I’m a public figure and what I say will impact people. So, I say as less as I can. But yes, I feel like for me, the logic is that I should always speak up for humanity and that’s my only guiding light. But I cannot be expected, at every and any given point of time, to offer my opinion because sometimes even I’m in the middle of forming one. There are also athletes, sports people and industrialists who choose not to talk about things. Koi unko nahi bolta. But I feel somehow, as actors, we always come under scrutiny.
------------------------
I refuse to be boxed. Whenever I feel people have figured me out and they want to tell me ‘this is what you’re good at and this is what you should do’, I want to do something entirely opposite. I am not here to be in some kind of rat race. I am here for the work. I am here for the creativity... I think of myself as an artiste, and I want to be, by the end of my career, counted as a leading artiste of our times. That, for me, is like the goalpost.
- Huma Qureshi
Advice to release Baby Do Die Do on OTT was coming from a place of concern-Saqib Saleem
9:19 AM
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; July 20, 2026)
Hopping from one theatre to another, producer Saqib Saleem is getting common feedback from the audience about Baby Do Die Do — that the Huma Qureshi-led action thriller is “unique”. For the actor-turned-producer, that is heartening.
“With our company [Saleem Siblings], we want to tell original stories. So, when people say that they hadn’t seen something like this before, we feel that’s what we wanted to achieve. We didn’t want to make a template film. There are some template films that are being made out there, and they have a market. But I want to get to a point where whenever my company’s name comes up, people think we’re making something cool and quirky,” Saleem told mid-day.
But it’s easier said than done, especially in the post-pandemic market where only spectacle movies are believed to be profitable in theatres. Saleem was advised to take Baby Do Die Do, directed by Nachiket Samant, directly to OTT.
“They weren’t coming from a place of doubt. That advice was coming from a place of concern. The market is brutal for theatrical films — sometimes you don’t get good showcasing, other times you don’t have marketing budgets. But for me, films were always meant for the big screen. So, I thought I have to take the risk.”
Pata nahin kaun meri marriage kara raha hai-Rachit Singh
10:29 AM
Yashika Mathur (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 17, 2026)
Actor Rachit Singh is currently enjoying the positive response to his recently released film Baby Do Die Do and is now focused on what lies ahead. But alongside discussions about his performance, the actor says he has been flooded with calls and messages over rumours of his wedding with friend and co-star Huma Qureshi.
Reacting to the speculation, Rachit laughs, “Pata nahin kaun, kahan meri marriage kara raha hai!”
Reports that the two were dating began after they attended actor-couple Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal’s wedding reception in 2024 and only grew stronger with their frequent public appearances.
Ahead of the film’s release, Huma’s heartfelt Instagram post praising Rachit’s journey, from a small-town boy in Banaras to making it in Mumbai, was also seen by many as a “hard launch” of their relationship. “When I first met Rachit, what struck me wasn’t just his talent — it was his patience. His quiet grit,” she wrote.
Recent reports have even claimed that the two are set to marry in October. However, Rachit reacts to the buzz with humour. “Main soch raha hoon apni mummy ka number de doon. Sab log mujhe phone karke pooch rahe hain,” he says, adding with a smile that he’ll announce his wedding himself and send an invitation whenever the day comes.
Having spent a decade as an acting coach, Rachit says his experience on film sets has added a new dimension to his teaching. “I always connected with them (acting students) whether I was working as an actor or not, but now, with the experience of working on sets, it gives me a lot of perspective.”
Years of hard work can’t be judged on a weekend-Huma Qureshi
10:28 AM
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; July 17, 2026)
Before diving into Baby Do Die Do, Huma Qureshi knew one thing for certain: that it won’t be a film whose opening numbers could be tom-tommed about. Instead, she viewed her production as a “film that people should discover”. Now, as director Nachiket Samant’s action thriller that began on a slow note is entering its third week, the actor and producer’s vision has become a reality.
“We live in a culture where people are quick to write you off. Unfortunately, today the first 72 hours determine how big or successful your film is. Years of somebody’s hard work cannot be judged on a weekend. Sometimes we need a little time and word of mouth,” Qureshi told mid-day.
That’s exactly what drove Baby Do Die Do, centred on Qureshi’s hitwoman. Not only has the audience praised the thriller, but also filmmakers like Anurag Kashyap and Sudhir Mishra have supported it by organising screenings. That’s a big win for Qureshi and her brother Saqib Saleem.
Qureshi recalled, “It was a massive risk that we took with our eyes wide open. A lot of people tried to dissuade us. Beyond a point, I stopped discussing with people because the only difference between genius and stupidity is our success.”
The actor was convinced about putting her might behind this story for a bigger reason. “We are on the path to give a fighting chance to ourselves and people like us who don’t have a lot of opportunities. Now, people are making safe films and those without backing don’t fit into those films because there is no proof of concept. But how will you have proof of concept if we don’t get an opportunity?”
‘Baby Do Die Do’ was inevitably compared to ‘Alpha’ that released on the same day. How does Huma Qureshi react to the comparisons? “I can make my film shine without bringing down another human. I know how difficult it is for a woman to have projects mounted around them. So, it’s amazing that two distinct films, headlined by women, came on the same date,” she said.
I felt my film didn’t get the showcasing it should have-Saqib Saleem
9:02 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 2, 2026)
Making Baby Do Die Do was only half the battle for actor-turned-producer Saqib Saleem. Paving the thriller’s road to release, without a studio backing its campaign or distribution, has been an education for the new producer. “Producing a film and trying to bring it to theatres is a humbling experience. In today’s cluttered market, trying to find a place for a film that is not studio-led has been a completely different experience,” began Saleem.
Baby Do Die Do stars his sister and actor Huma Qureshi in the lead role, and marks the duo’s first co-production under their new banner Saleem Siblings. Their previous productions, including Double XL (2022), were studio-backed and taught Saleem the mechanics of filmmaking. What frustrated him was what happened after the movie was complete.
“When it came to putting it out for release, I felt my film was not treated properly or didn’t get the showcasing it should have. If I did it independently, I’d be able to pull in more muscle because when other people are involved, you don’t have full control over how your film is positioned,” he recalled.
That perhaps fuelled Saleem’s desire to build an independent creative ecosystem rather than waiting for opportunities to arrive.
He shared, “We want to create an ecosystem for interesting voices. We call ourselves a boutique production house because our bandwidth doesn’t allow us to do more than one film at a time. With Baby Do Die Do, we just wanted to make a good film. Whether this works or not, everything is on us. I have no one to blame. I have reached a point in my life where I want far more agency in the decisions I take and the creative choices I make.”
Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s popular song ‘Ishq Kameena’ from Shakti has been recreated for ‘Baby Do Die Do’.
Admitting that the idea originated from Tips chairman Kumar Taurani, Saleem shared, “The idea was to make more people aware of the film. When you recreate a classic, there will be people who don’t like it. But if the purpose is to make people aware that our film exists, it served that purpose.”
(Crisp) Movie Review: BABY DO DIE DO by FENIL SETA
8:42 AM
Baby Do Die Do starts on an intriguing note, in Sin City-style. Sometime later, it pays homage to Charlie Chaplin-style filmmaking in an important scene. Yet, director Nachiket Samant has a unique voice that shines throughout the film. The characters are quirky, while a few developments and twists are very captivating. The soundtrack is niche but unique and well-woven into the narrative. On the flipside, certain developments are puzzling and plain silly. A couple of characters' subplots are interesting when viewed individually. But in the film's narrative, they seem forced. An important plot point is conveniently forgotten after a while, making one wonder why it was even added in the first place. Huma Qureshi does not have a single dialogue, yet she speaks volumes through her eyes and expressions; easily one of her best performances. Rachit Singh is lovely and his scenes bring some respite to the otherwise dark film. Chunky Panday is marvellous while Seema Pahwa is dependable. Sikandar Kher is too good as the antagonist Arun Khushwah (Lucky) and Himanshu Malik (Mikky Murjhani) play well-written characters and are the surprises of the film. Marudhar Shekhawat (Manu) is another actor who impresses. Mangal Kenkare (Baby's mother) is okay and her character should have got more screen space. Vidya Malavade's cameo is decent. Rupesh Bane (Faizu), Kailash Waghmare (More), the late Ashish Warang (Constable Tawde), Pradeep Kabra (Bodyguard Maruti), Karan Dave (Goli) and Nishad Vaidya (Bunty Bhambani) are fair. All in all, Baby Do Die Do is a decent, stylish entertainer.
My rating - *** out of 5!
My rating - *** out of 5!
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 941
4:57 PM
WILL ALPHA BE A SUCCESS LIKE THE REST OF THE YRF SPY UNIVERSE FILMS?
Tomorrow will see the release of Alpha and it's one of the most significant films of the year. This is because it belongs to the YRF Spy Universe and in the past, it has delivered huge grossers like Ek Tha Tiger, Tiger Zinda Hai, War, Pathaan and Tiger 3. Alpha stands out because it focuses on two female protagonists.
Alpha stars Alia Bhatt and Sharvari in the lead and it also features Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol. It is directed by Shiv Rawal, who helmed the much-loved YRF web series, The Railway Men. The teaser and trailer are quite slick, and it's clear that the film promises lots of grandeur and big-sized entertainment.
However, Alpha faces several challenges. There’s negativity surrounding the film, most of which was planted by vested interests. The trolls are of the opinion that after watching a realistic and gritty spy film like Dhurandhar, a film like Alpha won’t impress the audience. This narrative was spread around the release of the first part of Dhurandhar. The audience also got carried away and this became a strong notion.
In no time, Alpha began to be trolled. Its assets have also been massively criticized. In fact, there’s a section of netizens whose only job, it seems, is to troll Alia Bhatt and her various promotional appearances.
The negativity surrounding Alpha is huge and it's shocking because, to think of it, it makes no sense. Hollywood makes gritty spy flicks, but on the other hand, they also present viewers with a Mission: Impossible or a James Bond flick. Audiences out there are wise enough to understand that the latter category of films is meant to entertain and may have lots of cinematic liberties. And yet, it's fine. On the other hand, Bollywood audiences are made to feel that it's criminal to accept a spy film like Alpha in the post-Dhurandhar era.
The plus side is that a huge section of the moviegoing audience is interested in watching Alpha despite being bombarded with anti-YRF Spy Universe content on their phones throughout the day. But due to the negativity, most of them have adopted a wait-and-watch approach. It means that they’ll wait for the reports and only then will they book the tickets.
As a result, a double-digit opening of Alpha is ruled out. The film is expected to open at around Rs. 7 crores and it may cross the Rs. 8 crore mark. The film will see a huge jump if the word of mouth is positive. The aim should be to have a weekend of Rs. 30 crores and then trend well until Independence Day so that the film comes out with a respectable total, preferably Rs. 100 crore plus.
However, if reports are not encouraging, Alpha will have a very tough time.
The other release of the week is also about a female assassin – Baby Do Die Do. It stars Huma Qureshi in the lead and she’s also the film’s producer. The trailer is promising, but the buzz is very low. A positive word of mouth is crucial for the film to have a jump on Saturday and hold strongly in the weekdays.
Tomorrow will see the release of Alpha and it's one of the most significant films of the year. This is because it belongs to the YRF Spy Universe and in the past, it has delivered huge grossers like Ek Tha Tiger, Tiger Zinda Hai, War, Pathaan and Tiger 3. Alpha stands out because it focuses on two female protagonists.
Alpha stars Alia Bhatt and Sharvari in the lead and it also features Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol. It is directed by Shiv Rawal, who helmed the much-loved YRF web series, The Railway Men. The teaser and trailer are quite slick, and it's clear that the film promises lots of grandeur and big-sized entertainment.
However, Alpha faces several challenges. There’s negativity surrounding the film, most of which was planted by vested interests. The trolls are of the opinion that after watching a realistic and gritty spy film like Dhurandhar, a film like Alpha won’t impress the audience. This narrative was spread around the release of the first part of Dhurandhar. The audience also got carried away and this became a strong notion.
In no time, Alpha began to be trolled. Its assets have also been massively criticized. In fact, there’s a section of netizens whose only job, it seems, is to troll Alia Bhatt and her various promotional appearances.
The negativity surrounding Alpha is huge and it's shocking because, to think of it, it makes no sense. Hollywood makes gritty spy flicks, but on the other hand, they also present viewers with a Mission: Impossible or a James Bond flick. Audiences out there are wise enough to understand that the latter category of films is meant to entertain and may have lots of cinematic liberties. And yet, it's fine. On the other hand, Bollywood audiences are made to feel that it's criminal to accept a spy film like Alpha in the post-Dhurandhar era.
The plus side is that a huge section of the moviegoing audience is interested in watching Alpha despite being bombarded with anti-YRF Spy Universe content on their phones throughout the day. But due to the negativity, most of them have adopted a wait-and-watch approach. It means that they’ll wait for the reports and only then will they book the tickets.
As a result, a double-digit opening of Alpha is ruled out. The film is expected to open at around Rs. 7 crores and it may cross the Rs. 8 crore mark. The film will see a huge jump if the word of mouth is positive. The aim should be to have a weekend of Rs. 30 crores and then trend well until Independence Day so that the film comes out with a respectable total, preferably Rs. 100 crore plus.
However, if reports are not encouraging, Alpha will have a very tough time.
The other release of the week is also about a female assassin – Baby Do Die Do. It stars Huma Qureshi in the lead and she’s also the film’s producer. The trailer is promising, but the buzz is very low. A positive word of mouth is crucial for the film to have a jump on Saturday and hold strongly in the weekdays.
Huma Qureshi on Toxic getting postponed due to Dhurandhar 2: "I cut out the noise, do my job and check out"
9:57 AM
The actress talks about the change in the release date of Toxic and why she remains unfazed by it
Vinay MR Mishra (BOMBAY TIMES; April 9, 2026)
With Toxic—headlined by Yash— being pushed from it's original release date, [people started speculating that the change in the release timing was due to the alleged box-office competition with Dhurandhar The Revenge. Amid speculation over whether the film has been pushed to avoid a clash, Huma Qureshi addresses the noise, maintaining that such decisions are best left to the makers.
Speaking about the film’s delay, she says, “I’m of course very excited Toxic to come out, but I think the timing of these things has to be correct. And I’m sure, like, this decision made with a lot of like, thought behind it and whenever it comes out, I’m sure audiences are going to love it and have a great time.”
On the speculation and negative PR chatter around the film, Huma remains unfazed: “I don’t think about it. I. I feel like my job as an artist is to do work and the audiences have every right to receive it the way they intend to. But I mean, if I start only listening to other people and what they’re saying and thinking, then I won’t be able to do my job.”
She adds that she consciously distances herself from the noise post work. She adds, “So honestly, I do my thing and then I check out. I fully check out. Like, I’ve done my acting, I’ve done what I’m as a professional, what I’m supposed to do, and then I go off and I don’t like to read everything. I feel like reading every comment and reading every opinion and reading whatever just in a way just cripples you from doing something. As an artist, you have to be free and keep your energy really open and you can’t always predict how people are going to respond to something, so you shouldn’t do that.”
The actor also hints at a packed slate ahead. “There are like five releases now, which I’ve shot for already. I mean, some of them we can’t talk about, but the ones that you know are there, whether it’s a Toxic or it’s a Baby Do Die Do, which is a home production… that Saqib Saleem and I have produced under our banner Saleem Siblings," she signs off.
Huma Qureshi wraps up her second production Baby Do Die Do; also stars Chunky Panday and Sikandar Kher
9:12 AM
Huma, who turned producer with Double XL, wraps up her second offering Baby Do Die Do; crime comedy set in Mumbai’s underbelly
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; March 26, 2024)
Actor, author, producer— Huma Qureshi likes juggling multiple roles. While the actor is happy at the positive response to the third season of Maharani, the producer in her has her hands full with Baby Do Die Do. Nachiket Samant’s directorial venture marks Qureshi and actor-brother Saqib Saleem’s second production after Double XL (2022). From what we hear, the film —starring her, Chunky Panday and Sikandar Kher — was wrapped up last month following a start-to-finish schedule in Mumbai.
So, what’s Baby Do Die Do all about? Sources tell us it’s a neo-noir crime comedy set in the underbelly of Mumbai. A source from the creative team reveals, “The film went on floors in December 2023 and principal photography was completed in February. Besides the principal characters, the cast includes Marathi theatre actors as Nachiket is a well-known Marathi director. Baby Do Die Do is a whodunnit set in the underbelly of the metropolis, where each character is grey and has ulterior motives. It’s quirky and smart, along the lines of Huma’s much-loved Monica O My Darling [2022].”
Through her production house, Qureshi wants to bring unheard stories to the fore—ranging from a meaningful film like Double XL that questioned body shaming, to a quirky movie like Baby Do Die Do.
“Huma and Saqib were excited when they heard the script, and immediately decided to back it. They loved how it’s a humorous take on everyday characters who find themselves dabbling in crime. The new producers have a content-first approach and this film aligned with their vision. Nachiket, who previously helmed Gachchi [2017] and Comedy Couple [2020], wanted to give it a realistic treatment. So, the movie was shot at real locations across the city, including in south and central Mumbai. Many scenes have been filmed on local trains with real commuters,” adds the source.
We hear the producer duo plan to take the film to the big screen before the year-end.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)