Huma writes letter to her 16-year-old self ahead of International Women's Day

Huma Qureshi. Pic/Yogen Shah

Actress Huma Qureshi, whose latest streaming series 'Maharani 3' dropped on Thursday, has penned a letter to her 16-year-old self ahead of the International Women's Day.

On Thursday, the actress, who essays the lead role of Rani Bharati in the series, took to her Instagram and shared the letter addressed to her younger self.

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She wrote, "Thank you for that day when you marched into your principal's office in Class 11. You were terrified but your love for the stage burnt brighter than your fear. You had to tell them of your choice: Performing Arts over Academics, Humanities over Science. Your first fight against doubt. The start of your journey in defying expectations. They told you you are stubborn! That your dreams were wrong! You must be like the others -- okay with being put in a box and taking the 'safe and sensible' route."

She thanked her younger self for being headstrong then because in hindsight that stubbornness took her on an incredible journey.

She continued, "Just hold on little Huma, your unwavering belief in yourself will take you places. I promise. When you came to Mumbai you didn't know a soul yet you went each day to every audition, every meeting with unwavering determination -- They don't know who I am when I walk in that door but I will make sure they remember me when I walk out."

She said that early days are tough in a new city with only dreams being the guiding light.

She further mentioned, "Many nights you cry alone praying for some ray of hope. Each rejection hurts but you wake up and go back to work and just keep walking on. Today, I am older, wiser, and maybe a little more glitter-covered, but I can tell you, that it is still possible to be 'the simple girl' and still dream big. On darker days, when they rejected you for a film or didn't give you an opportunity amid whispers of "not perfect enough", you proved them wrong in the most glorious ways. In the future too, there will be days when they attack you and want to push you into a corner. Pay no attention, for you are the one with fire in your eyes and stories to tell."

She added, "The women will see you. They will see themselves in the witty interviews you give and the characters you play: Real, Raw and Strong. I wonder Huma, what would you think of Rani Bharati in 'Maharani' or Rajshri in 'Double XL' or Monica Machado in 'Monica O My Darling'? I think you will like them. For they are no damsels in distress nor sculpted heroines. They are messy, unfiltered, and powerful like you and millions of women who will watch you."

In her Instagram post, the actress also shared several of her childhood pictures. The backdrop in the picture is strongly reminiscent of the household settings of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

"Your Rani, the firecracker leader ruling her kingdom, rewriting the rules, and rising from the ashes like a phoenix, will remind women of lifting each other up. That we don't need anyone to save us. We are enough. We are the queens, the warriors, the writers of our own destinies! If a small-town Rani can do it, so can you. So, do not conform or silence your voice. Like the fierce women around us, you, too, can and will rise above the noise. With love and pride, the Huma who defied the odds and still shines bright," she concluded.

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