Huma Qureshi shoots a dance number for cameo in Rajkummar Rao's Maalik

Rajkummar Rao in Maalik

In 2022, Huma Qureshi and Rajkummar Rao gave us the delightful black comedy, Monica, O My Darling. Almost three years on, the duo has reunited, albeit only for a song. mid-day has learnt that Qureshi shot for a dance number in Maalik, which marks Rao's first out-and-out action entertainer. In Pulkit's directorial venture, the protagonist rises through the ranks from a small-time local gangster to an urban crime lord.

Huma Qureshi

Composed by Sachin-Jigar and choreographed by Vijay Ganguly, Qureshi's song comes at a crucial juncture in the narrative. Sources tell us that the number was shot in Lucknow last November. "In the sequence, Rajkummar's character and his gang get a tip-off that the man they are looking for is at a local bar. They head to the bar for an in-and-out job. That's where Huma is seen performing. The choreographer has designed it as a raw and earthy dance number, along the lines of Chikni Chameli from Agneepath [2012]. Maalik's story is based in Allahabad and Lucknow. For the song, the set of a bar, as per those found in Lucknow, was built," reveals a source. Maalik, which is aiming for a June release, also stars Manushi Chhillar.