'This Is The Worst Character I Have Played': Huma Qureshi Opens Up On Her Negative Role In Shefali Shah's Delhi Crime Season 3

The makers of Delhi Crime unveiled the gripping trailer of its much-anticipated third season at an event held in Mumbai on Tuesday (November 4). The new chapter of the Emmy-winning series sees Shefali Shah, Rasika Dugal, and Rajesh Tailang reprise their roles, while Huma Qureshi and Sayani Gupta make new entries.

During the event, the cast shared insights into their experiences working on the upcoming season and the challenges of portraying emotionally demanding characters.

Huma, who takes on one of the darkest roles of her career, Badi Didi, said, “I say this in the best way possible... this is the worst character I have played,” adding that while the character is vile, she herself is not. “I’m probably one of the best people playing the worst characters,” she joked.

Opening up about her dilemma before taking the role, she stated, “It was a lot of fun playing Badi Didi. When you play dark characters, there are no limitations, you can experiment freely. But I did face some challenges. I consciously ensure that every woman I portray has agency and perspective. While there is some agency here, it’s quite negative. So, I wondered if I should do it or not. But Delhi Crime is such an important show, it holds a mirror to society. Sometimes when a known actor plays a negative role, it highlights the issue. If my portrayal helps raise awareness about this subject, then it’s truly an honour.”

Sayani Gupta, who joins the ensemble this season, described the project as one of the most creatively fulfilling experiences of her career. “I have not met a single human being who has not said, I do not love Delhi Crime. It's the rarest thing, because generally films, shows, it's very personal, we all take away different things. So to be able to come and join this incredible team, that has proved time and again that they do solid work and explore all possibilities to sort of showcase that world through these amazing characters that they are able to write and then execute with the entire team and with these phenomenal actors.”

Talking about her character, Sayani added, “I think the character of Kusum is incredible because there is no right or wrong for her. There is no boundary for her. She's a hustler, she's a survivor, she will do anything in her capacity and ability to just survive, you know. And so I had the most fun in my entire career of 14 years.”

For Shefali, who returns as DCP Vartika Chaturvedi, the pressure of living up to the legacy of Delhi Crime remains both exciting and overwhelming. Reacting to the show’s Emmy win and its global acclaim, she shared, "I started feeling the pressure yesterday when we began promotions, and I was terrified. I wanted to run away and hide under a rock."

However, the actress clarified that awards do not change her approach to the role. "When we were doing the show, I didn't think, 'Oh my god, this won an Emmy, and I have to better it.' I just wanted to be true to Vartika. Every actor wants to prove that they can do better, but that's not my aim. I just want to be as true to her as I can be. Now I'm very tense, I'm freaking out."

In the third season, DCP Vartika Chaturvedi finds herself investigating a chilling network after the discovery of a shipment of 30 girls trafficked to Delhi. The story unfolds across multiple cities including Silchar, Mumbai, Rohtak, Surat, and Muzaffarpur, uncovering a system fueled by fear and silence.

Delhi Crime Season 3 will premiere on Netflix on November 13. While the first season was set in the aftermath of the 2012 Delhi gang rape, the second explored the infamous Chaddi Baniyan gang.