Single Salma review: Huma Qureshi’s journey of self-discovery is a Queen-like setup, falters in being a fresh watch

Introduction — Huma Qureshi leads a familiar but heartfelt story

Huma Qureshi headlines Single Salma, a slice-of-life drama about a woman navigating family expectations, relationships and the messy work of finding herself. The film arrives with a setup that feels intentionally close to the spirit of films like Queen — a personal, small-town awakening that should ring true and empowering. On paper, the pieces are right: a strong central performer, an empathetic premise, and moments of comedy and warmth. In practice, the film often sits between comfort and cliché.

What Single Salma is about — plot in brief

Salma’s conflict: family duty vs selfhood

Single Salma follows Salma Rizvi (Huma Qureshi), a 30-something government employee from Lucknow who has spent much of her adult life supporting her family. When the usual pressure about marriage resurfaces and two potential suitors enter her life, Salma is forced to examine what she actually wants. The film tracks her gradual push for dignity, choice and self-respect amid small-town norms.

Cast, crew and technical details — verified facts

Director Nachiket Samant directs the film, which stars Huma Qureshi alongside Sunny Singh and Shreyas Talpade in pivotal roles. The movie released on 31 October 2025 and runs roughly 2 hours 21 minutes, according to published listings. These production anchors matter because the director’s tonal choices and the supporting cast’s chemistry shape how Salma’s journey reads on screen.

Huma Qureshi’s performance — the film’s real strength

Nuance and emotional honesty

If the film wobbles, Huma Qureshi does not. Her Salma is quietly textured: she balances comic timing, vulnerability and simmering dignity without ever tipping into caricature. Many reviewers single out Qureshi for carrying the film during its slower stretches; she makes small, believable choices that invite empathy even when the script grows didactic. In short, Qureshi — the focus keyword for this piece — is the main reason you’ll remain invested through the uneven stretches.

Where the film echoes Queen — and why that’s a double-edged sword

The comparison to Queen is useful because both films hinge on a woman’s inward transformation against conservative social backdrops. Single Salma borrows that template: an ordinary woman pushed toward personal liberation through encounters and choices that reveal her inner worth. However, the familiarity of this arc becomes a weakness when the film—rather than subverting expectations—remains content to replay familiar beats. As a result, the emotional payoff sometimes feels expected rather than revelatory.

Storytelling and pacing — where it falters

Overwrought writing and uneven rhythms

Multiple critics note that the film’s writing leans toward the overwrought: dialogue occasionally lapses into preachiness and scenes that should be subtle are underscored by heavy-handed beats. Pacing is another concern. The first act settles in comfortably but the second act stretches with repetitive confrontations and didactic monologues that blunt momentum. When a film’s heart is in the right place, restraint matters — and Single Salma sometimes needs more of it.

Supporting cast and tone — small sparks, mixed returns

The supporting players — notably Shreyas Talpade and Sunny Singh — offer bright moments and light comic relief. Their chemistry with Qureshi helps the film land several warm, funny moments. Yet the tonal shifts between comic set pieces and earnest moralizing can feel abrupt. The result is a movie that often delights in pieces without fully knitting those pieces into a consistently satisfying whole. Critics picked up on that unevenness across the board.

Themes that matter — self-worth, consent and choice

Despite narrative flaws, Single Salma raises timely themes: the pressure on women to marry as a destiny, the quiet costs of caregiving, and the importance of consent and self-worth. These are handled with basic decency and several scenes genuinely land emotionally. Where the film undercuts itself is by turning the exploration into lecture at times — the intention is noble, but the execution doesn’t always trust the audience to reach the same conclusions organically.

Who will enjoy this film — and who might not

If you watch movies for performances and empathetic domestic drama, Huma Qureshi’s portrayal makes Single Salma worth a look. Fans of quiet, women-led films with relatable stakes will find reward here. If, however, you expect a fresh take on the self-discovery genre or sharp, consistently witty writing, the film may feel too familiar and occasionally heavy handed.

Final verdict — Huma Qureshi shines, film needs sharper edges

Single Salma is anchored by an excellent central performance from Huma Qureshi and a sincere interest in real social concerns. The film’s Queen-like DNA gives it emotional gravitas, but a lack of narrative freshness and periodic tonal inconsistency keep it from being a breakthrough. In short: watch it for Huma Qureshi’s performance and for the conversation it tries to start, but go in without expecting a wholly new take on a now-familiar genre.

Also Read: Mahhi Vij Denies ₹5 Cr Alimony Rumours!