Leila: Huma Qureshi Presents A Compelling Story That Bollywood Hasn't Seen So Far

Netflix has always known for churning out fresh stories and the latest one is a wonderful addition to the list. Yes, we are talking about Deepa Mehta's Leila, the six-part dystopian show featuring actors Huma Qureshi, Siddharth and Rahul Khanna in crucial roles. It is based on Prayaag Akbar’s book of the same name. As soon as the web show released, it became the talking topic for all good reasons. In fact, people are also calling it one of the courageous shows made by Netflix India.

The trailer already indicated that the show is about a fictional nation called Aryavarta where a person is free to practice any religion but is restricted to build a relationship with anyone from the different community. It is a place where the citizenry is differentiated on the basis of caste, religion and more.  People who are not from Aryavarta are called Doosh. The latter lives in basti amid huge piles of garbage. These people have to struggle for water and other basic necessities.

Shalini Pathak's (Huma Qureshi) life changes overnight after her Muslim husband (Rahul Khanna) is lynched in their own home and daughter Leila is taken away from her as she was of mixed blood.

Shalini is sent to a labour camp to purify her sins and this also starts her journey of finding her daughter. Siddharth plays Bhanu, who is a rebel in the guise of contractor.

Photo from Twitter

The camera focuses on Huma for most part of the series and gladly, she doesn't disappoints. She gives a wonderful performance by balancing Leila’s overzealous aspects. Huma proved her mettle as an actress and we are hoping that she will start getting amazing projects in Bollywood as well.

Along with impressing with his sensible tweets on the social media, Siddharth has also managed to crave his niche as a good actor. He gave a subtle performance in Leila as well. Obviously, the show focuses on Shalini but Bhanu plays an important role in taking the story forward.

Photo from Twitter

In some scenes, Leila makes you uncomfortable like the one where women in the camp are asked to roll on the leftovers after purity inspectors finished their meals. The visuals and outfits are thematic reminders of The Handmaid's Tale. Leila has some loopholes but at the time, when people are bored of larger-than-life Bollywood films, Leila is a breathe of fresh air.

The web series is something that Bollywood hasn't seen or made so far. Along with raising questions, it also reminds us that if we continue to waste natural resources then one day we have to pay a huge amount to have our taps running.

If you haven't seen Leila, give it a watch to witness some harsh realities.

Picture Credits- Twitter

Feature Picture- Twitter

Text- GirlSyle IN