Their last collaboration, ‘Single Salma’ didn’t resonate with the audience, but then that didn’t stop Huma Qureshi and director Nachiket Samanta from reuniting for a crime thriller, ‘Baby Do Die Do’. With Huma stepping into the role of Baby Karmarkar, a death-defying deaf-mute hitwoman, the film promises a unique world filled with mystery and action.
Opening up about the character, the director revealed that the film began with a simple thought. “We were just riffing one day, ‘Has there ever been a Hindi film about a professional female assassin?’ We couldn’t think of one. That gap was instantly exciting, so we went after that character and the world kind of built itself around her,” he shared.
The filmmaker added that Mumbai became an integral part of the story, with its crowds shaping Baby’s unique way of operating. “She kills and disappears into the crowd. That’s what’s so unique about her; it’s as much about the escape as it is about the kill,” he said.
Talking about making Baby, a mute and deaf contract killer, Nachiket said the larger-than-life concept came naturally, but making the character feel believable depended on Huma’s performance. “All the rootedness, Huma brought. It’s one thing to write a fantastic character… You still need a solid actor to bring it to life,” he said.
The director also revealed that removing dialogue from the character became an interesting creative challenge. “Huma’s a fully ‘tayyar’ actor, but this time, suddenly taking away her dialogues seemed like the perfect challenge. It forced her somewhere I hadn’t seen her go and she rose to it completely,” he added.
‘Baby Do Die Do’ also stars Sikander Kher, Chunky Pandey, Seema Pahwa, Rachit Singh and Marudhar Shekhawat in pivotal roles.