Huma Qureshi performed in Dil Thaam Ke from Rajkummar Rao's Maalik for free: ‘Doston se kaise paise le'
Actor Huma Qureshi is starring in a song titled Dil Thaam Ke in Rajkummar Rao's upcoming film Maalik. In an interview with India Today, she confirmed that she did not charge a fee to perform in the song as she didn't want to charge money from friends. (Also Read: Dil Thaam Ke: Huma Qureshi song in Maalik leaves internet wondering why every dance number looks like Aaj Ki Raat) Huma Qureshi as Mallika in Dil Thaam Ke from Maalik starring Rajkummar Rao.
Huma said in the interview that she fell 'in love' with the song the moment producer Jay Shewakramani (whom she called Jayu) played it for her. She also stated that shooting for Maalik felt like 'a bunch of friends coming together,' so she had to say yes.
Confirming that she didn't charge a single rupee for the track, Huma said, 'Doston se kaise paise le sakte hai (How can one borrow money from friends?) It was just two days of shooting, so I felt it really wasn't necessary to take money.'
However, one particular day on set turned into a 16-hour schedule, she recollected, due to a complicated shot that was 'no one's fault'. 'I don't believe in walking away, saying my shift is over. My conditioning is such that if I'm at work, I'll finish my job and then leave. So yes, it went on for 16 hours, but it wasn't planned. It was just one of those intense days on set,' she said. About Maalik
Maalik is directed by Pulkit and produced by Kumar Taurani and Jay Shewakramani. It stars Rajkummar Rao, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Manushi Chhillar, and Medha Shankr. Huma makes a special appearance as Mallika in the song Dil Thaam Ke. Sachin-Jigar composed the film's music. The film will be released in theatres on 11 July. It went on floors last year and wrapped up by November. Maalik is touted to be a gangster drama about a man's rise to power in the underworld, if the promotional material is anything to go by.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Kaanta Laga director on Shefali Jariwala's death: She was planning next 20 years
Music video director and filmmaker Vinay Sapru is still trying to come to terms with the sudden death of Shefali Jariwala, the face of the iconic music video 'Kaanta Laga', which he directed over two decades ago. In an exclusive conversation with India Today, Vinay opened up about discovering Shefali, her rise to instant fame, and the irreplaceable void her death has left Jariwala died on June 28 at the age of 42, reportedly due to a cardiac arrest. Her death has shocked the industry and those who knew her closely, including Vinay, who not only launched her career but remained one of her closest mentors and recalled the moment he heard the news. 'Around midnight, I got a message and I couldn't believe it. For me and Radhika(Rao) it was like a nightmare. For us, it wasn't just a professional bond, it was a 20-year-long journey. In our Indian tradition, she was like a 'shishya'. It's heartbreaking.'Recalling how he discovered Shefali, Vinay said, 'Radhika and I were driving on Linking Road, Bandra, in Mumbai, and parallel to us came a scooter. The mother was riding it, and the young girl was hugging her from behind. They just drove past us. Radhika and I looked at each other and said, 'What a pretty girl.' We stopped them, gave her a visiting card, and invited her to audition. It felt like it was meant to be.'advertisement That spontaneous encounter would go on to define early 2000s pop culture, with Shefali's striking screen presence in 'Kaanta Laga' making her a national sensation overnight.'She came from a very good family, was doing engineering, and had no background in acting or dance,' Vinay shared. 'She worked hard every single day after college to rehearse with us. I remember once, during rehearsals, she wore brand-new white jeans her sister gifted her for her birthday. She didn't want to miss practice and ended up staining them. She had tears in her eyes but didn't complain. That was her dedication.'Vinay also credited her for shaping the visual identity of the song. 'We couldn't crack her hairstyle, until we styled her after a Japanese doll that belonged to my daughter. It became part of her unforgettable look.'Despite the fame, Vinay said Shefali remained grounded. "She never expressed disappointment about not getting more work. She was always cheerful, well-turned-out, and so full of positivity. Someone once asked her what she wanted to be remembered as, and she said, 'a good human being.' That's exactly what she was."He shared that Shefali was actively planning her next phase of life. "She was in our office just 20 days ago. She brought cookies from her favourite Japanese bakery for the whole team. She told me, 'The first 20 years were great, now let's plan the next 20.' She had so much energy and so many ideas. She was ready to take on the world," Vinay asked about social media speculation linking Shefali's death to anti-ageing medication, Vinay firmly responded, 'These are just rumours. She was a health freak, very disciplined, always in the gym. Like many today, she followed diets and used plant-based supplements. But any talk of addiction or misuse is baseless and unfair.'If Vinay had to sum her up to someone who had never met her, it would be this, 'She was a bundle of energy. There was never a dull moment around her. She was the happiest and the nicest soul.'As he scrolled through social media flooded with tributes, Vinay confessed, 'I can still hear her voice, her laughter. I saw her as a girl on the road who changed her destiny. It was one defining moment, and for 22 years, those memories have never left us. And they never will.'The postmortem report following Shefali Jariwala's sudden death is still awaited. Meanwhile, the actor was cremated at the Oshiwara Crematorium in Mumbai on Saturday.- EndsYou May Also Like
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
One Week to Win: July 2025's Ruthless Box Office Race Leaves No Breathing Room
Bollywood faces a chaotic July 2025 with a glut of film releases, creating intense competition for screen space. Multiple major films launch every Friday, leaving each just a week to succeed before being overshadowed. This crowded calendar, culminating in an August clash of titans, threatens smaller films and demands strategic coordination to avoid industry-wide losses. By all accounts, July 2025 is not just another release-heavy month for Bollywood — it's a high-stakes game of musical chairs, where the music never stops, and the chairs (or in this case, cinema screens) keep disappearing. With back-to-back releases every single Friday, each film has barely a week to shine before being bulldozed by the next big arrival. In a month bursting at the seams with stars, genres, and studio-backed projects, the room to breathe — let alone build word-of-mouth — has vanished. It's a zero-sum game, and only a few will walk away winners. One Week to Earn It All In a typical release calendar, films count on at least two solid weeks to capitalize on early buzz and find their audience. But July 2025 offers no such luxury. With every Friday blocked by two or more major releases, each title is effectively handed just one week to earn as much as it can before screen counts drop and public attention shifts elsewhere. Take Akshardham and Metro... In Dino , both releasing on July 4. While one is a hard-hitting terrorism drama led by Akshaye Khanna and the other a music-laced relationship tale from Anurag Basu, they'll have to split the audience right from day one. And even if either performs strongly — say Metro... In Dino rides on Basu's storytelling and its ensemble cast to earn solid word-of-mouth — it'll still have to cede prime shows by July 11, when Maalik and Aankhon Ki Gusthakiyaan hit theatres. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 Most Gorgeous Women, Ranked BigGlobalTravel Undo In any other month, films like Maalik , an action-heavy masala entertainer with Rajkummar Rao in a rare commercial avatar, or Aankhon Ki Gusthakiyaan , a romantic musical introducing Shanaya Kapoor, could have slowly built momentum. But in July, they're racing against a ticking clock — not just for box office numbers, but for visibility. Exhibitors will inevitably choose fresh content on July 18, meaning even a Week 1 success story gets buried under the avalanche of new releases. Mid-Month Mayhem: The Real Crunch The situation gets even more intense around mid-July. The 18th sees the release of Saiyaara , Mohit Suri's big bet under the YRF banner, a romantic saga pairing newcomers Ahaan Pandey and Aneet Padda. Under normal circumstances, a film like this would expect a generous rollout, backed by a powerful marketing push. But now, it will be forced to share the spotlight with Nikita Roy , a last-minute entry into the July 18 roster, shifted from June 27 due to lack of screen space. Sonakshi Sinha's Nikita Roy , directed by her brother Kussh S. Sinha, is expected to eat into Saiyaara 's share of multiplexes, especially since both are youth-oriented dramas with overlapping urban appeal. Add to that the family pull of Smurfs , an animated Hollywood release on the same day, and what you have is a complete chokehold on screens and audience segments. This mid-month bottleneck perfectly illustrates the risks of July 2025: there is no second weekend cushion. If you don't explode out of the gate, your chances of survival vanish by Friday. The Lucky Last: July 25 Releases Have the Edge Ironically, the only films with a real shot at sustained box office runs are the ones releasing last — on July 25. With no major Hindi releases slated for August's first two weekends (thanks to the massive clash of War 2 and Coolie on August 14), these films are uniquely positioned to enjoy a two-week unopposed window. Among these are three high-profile titles: Fantastic Four: First Steps , Son of Sardaar 2 , and Param Sundari . Marvel's Fantastic Four , with Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby , is expected to dominate in metros and among English-speaking audiences. Ajay Devgn's Son of Sardaar 2 will play strongly in tier-2 cities and North India, tapping into the recall value of its 2012 predecessor. Meanwhile, Param Sundari , a romantic comedy starring Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor , is a clear multiplex play, aimed at couples and younger viewers. Crucially, all three films will enjoy uninterrupted exhibition across two weekends — a luxury no other July release has been afforded. That alone could make or break their commercial prospects. Even if Fantastic Four cannibalizes some of the multiplex screens, there's enough room in the calendar for all three to co-exist and run healthy circuits. Theatres Caught in the Crossfire What makes July particularly chaotic is the position of exhibitors, who are left juggling a dozen films in four weeks with limited screens. Multiplex chains are being forced to make hard calls — sometimes rotating shows every day, sometimes allocating a single screen per film in peak cities. Single screens, too, are stuck choosing between star power and audience preferences. In such a climate, even films that are well-made and well-reviewed risk being pushed aside. Smaller or mid-budget movies, which typically rely on longevity and word-of-mouth to generate returns, are the biggest casualties. Distributors, too, are feeling the heat. With revenues increasingly back-loaded and OTT deals contingent on theatrical performance, a film's fate is now sealed by Sunday night of opening weekend. August Looms Large What's even more ironic is that this July crush doesn't ease up in August. On August 14, Coolie and War 2 — two of the year's most explosive titles — will collide head-on. Lokesh Kanagaraj's Coolie , starring Rajinikanth and featuring appearances by Nagarjuna and Aamir Khan, is a pan-India juggernaut. Meanwhile, War 2 , starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr. NTR, is YRF's crown jewel and promises thunderous action and high-octane drama. Their arrival all but guarantees that July releases must make their mark in 7 days or risk annihilation. Conclusion: A Calendar Crisis What we're witnessing in July 2025 is not just a busy release slate — it's a warning. Bollywood's release calendar is on the verge of collapse unless studios, exhibitors, and distributors start coordinating better. The solution may lie in smarter spacing, staggered regional rollouts, or even strategic alliances to avoid cannibalizing the very audiences everyone is chasing. Until then, July remains a survival-of-the-fittest scenario. Films with major stars and marketing muscle — like Metro... In Dino , Saiyaara , or Son of Sardaar 2 — may weather the storm. But for many others, July 2025 will be remembered as a month of missed opportunities and rushed exits. Because in this schedule, one week is all you get — and that might not be enough.
India Today
5 hours ago
- India Today
Is anger healthy in a marriage?
India Today Podcasts Desk UPDATED: Jun 26, 2025 20:59 IST What turns anger from an emotion into something destructive? Can anger lead to positive change in relationships? And can AI teach you how to accept all that is irritating about your partner? Tune in to hear Leena Paranjpe, marriage coach and author, explain the truth about anger in marriages. Produced by Garvit Srivastava Sound mixed by Rohan Bharti
