Huma Qureshi reveals her film Single Salma was just released in 200 screens, theater in Andheri had just one show: ‘It really broke my heart’

At Expresso, Huma Qureshi weighed in on the ongoing debate about indie, small films receiving fewer screens, a discussion reignited after Kanu Behl’s Agra faced a similar fate.

Huma Qureshi opens up about Single Salma’s dismal release. (Photos: Huma Qureshi/Instagram, Express Photos)

Recently, Agra director Kanu Behl, along with several other filmmakers, released a joint statement calling for fair and equal opportunities for independent films to be showcased in cinemas across the country. Although Agra received widespread acclaim, it struggled to secure adequate screens. The filmmakers noted that this issue is not unique—many Hindi films face the same challenge, often receiving limited screens, only early morning shows, or weekday slots with minimal footfall. Recently, at the 10th edition of Expresso, actor-producer Huma S Qureshi also recalled her film Single Salma meeting a similar fate.

At Expresso, Huma shared that not many people even got an opportunity to see her film, Single Salma. She said, “Single Salma released on 31^st October, and not many people got to see it. It wasn’t really promoted, there was no marketing spend on it, not even a bare minimum. There was no real buzz or conversation around it because there was a belief that now it will come on a streamer, so there was no point in it, because of what you said, that people are not really coming into theaters. I feel it is going to kill the business because the big machismo and the blockbusters are not going to sustain the business; it’s the small and mid-size films that always have and will always keep the business going.”

She added, “Right now, I have a Maharani, Delhi Crime. I had Jolly LLB 3. In the middle of all this, if a small film is coming, the least one expects is for that to get a basic level of showcasing. Single Salma didn’t even get a 200-screen release. In Andheri, closer to where I live, there was just 1 show at Rs 250 per ticket at 4:30 pm, so what are we even talking about? It really broke my heart when I saw that, but there is only that much you can do when the ship has sailed. If this is happening with me, can you imagine, if a young person wants to be a director, producer, or actor in the Hindi film business, what opportunities or options do they really have? Not very many.”

Also Read: De De Pyaar De gets 2400 shows, award-winning Agra has 19: 49 filmmakers join Kanu Behl to demand transparency from theatres, OTT

Huma S Qureshi further expressed concern over how the drop in film production is affecting countless workers behind the scenes. “I don’t have the exact metrics, but we are making half of the number of films we used to make in the industry earlier. It doesn’t affect me, but it affects the life of the daily wage laborers. It’s a trickle-down effect, so we need to do something about it. We need stories from across the country and not just make one kind of story. I feel all kinds of films should be made.”

Huma also spoke about the challenges her festival film Bayaan is facing, pointing to a larger systemic issue affecting independent, small films. She said, “I have another film called Bayaan, which went to festivals. We still haven’t sold it to a streamer, and my fear is and I hope it doesn’t happen… but if it doesn’t get picked up by any major streamer, the producer will be forced to release it in theaters. Because it’s a small budget film, it cannot afford or compete with the big blockbusters of the world. It will come and go, and later people will see it and appreciate it. Fundamentally, we need to get together and figure out if there is a way that all the players align. In the long term, it will really help the business.”

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