'Azhar' was never offered to me: Huma Qureshi

Actress Huma Qureshi, who was popularly tipped to play badminton star Jwala Gutta in the upcoming biopic "Azhar" starring Emraan Hashmi, says it is a "rumour" and the film was "never offered" to her.

Asked if she will be essaying the role of Gutta in the film, Huma told IANS: "That's a rumour. It is false. I am not playing Jwala Gutta. It ('Azhar') was never offered to me. I was never approached for it."

"I wonder where these rumours come from," the "Badlapur" actress added.

"Azhar" will narrate the highs and lows of Mohammad Azharuddin's life as the captain of the Indian cricket team for most of the 1990s and being tainted by a match-fixing scandal in 2000, and getting banned for life.

Emraan will be seen playing the titular role of former Indian captain Azharuddin in the film.

Directed by Tony D'Souza, "Azhar", which is jointly produced by Balaji Motion Pictures and MSM Motion Picture, also stars Prachi Desai, Nargis Fakhri and Lara Dutta in pivotal roles and is slated for a worldwide release on May 13.