Deepa draws parallel between Huma, Cate

Mumbai: For filmmaker Deepa Mehta, it was a "luxury" to work on 'Leila' with a talent like Huma Qureshi leading the cast. She says the actor is a risk-taker and in a way, in the league of the Oscar-winning Cate Blanchett.

Glad that she was dealing with "actors and not the stars that they are" in the Netflix series, Mehta says Qureshi "spoilt" her by slipping effortlessly into the role of Shalini in 'Leila', a dystopian drama capturing a mother's search for her abducted daughter.

"It was wonderful to work with her. She has got me spoilt. I felt really lucky. Of course, you really need a talented actor in the first place, but you also need an actor who is absolutely ready to take risks."