Divya Dutta, who came to Mumbai from Ludhiana at the age of 17, is today counted among the top actresses of the industry. Divya, who achieved this recognition on her own without any godfather, has completed a glorious journey of three decades in Bollywood this year. These days she is in the news for her film 'Sharma ji ki beti'. In this connection, we had a special conversation with her:
There were many challenges. As you said, I came from outside so I didn't know whom to meet, what to do. All I knew was that I wanted to be an actor but who are the right people? What is the right film? What is the right launch? I didn't know all this. You try, mistakes happen and you correct them. I got a lot of rejections in the beginning. Earlier I didn't get films because I was too young. I was 17 years old so everyone used to say that I look like a child with the hero. Then slowly I started getting multi-starrer films. Then I got Train to Pakistan, in which I had a child's role and everyone liked that role. Then I got Shaheed-e-Mohabbat and the doors of what is called art cinema opened for me but I am one of those few actors who have worked with great directors of both kinds of cinema – Shyam Benegal, Rituparno Ghosh, Rakesh Mehra, Yash Chopra.
As you said, there were a lot of rejections initially, so how did that 17-year-old girl deal with them? How did she persevere?
My story is also similar to my character Kiran Sharma. Like she comes with warmth and smile but here nobody has time. Similarly, we also came with our talent but people did not get to know. Here nobody even refuses you that who knows tomorrow you might be needed, then everyone says yes we will definitely work and I was so naive that I used to agree. There were many films that I thought I was doing but I did not get them so I was surprised that how can they refuse me like this? Why are they lying? I felt this is very wrong but my family, especially my mother and my brother never let me feel that this is all there is. One day when another girl replaced me and I came home crying a lot, my mother said has life stopped? No, tomorrow these same people will come to work with you and that is what happened. I worked with the same people later in better roles but you need a person who gives you this confidence. I am lucky that my mother was that person for me.
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Your character Kiran in the film also struggles with loneliness. You yourself are single. Do you ever feel the lack of a partner? Karan Johar had said that even if you have friends and family, the place for a partner still remains empty. How much do you agree with this?
Of course being single is not easy but being single has its own charm. I think I enjoy it. Earlier I also always felt that being in a relationship is very important but after Covid that thinking changed because during that time we spent most of our time with ourselves and I started enjoying it. But Karan is right. Having a partner is a beautiful thing that you have someone with whom you can share your things. For example, I love to travel so I feel that there should be a partner with whom I can travel. Now if there is no one then I go with my friends but I am ready for surprises in life. You never know when what will happen but I also feel complete in myself. There is no dependence on anyone else or need for anyone. If there is someone then it is great, if there is no one then also I am fine.
You are working in very select films these days, what is the reason for this?
It often happens with us actors that sometimes you are just shooting and then four-five films come together. My last year was also like this that I was just shooting and now everything is releasing one after the other. First Bandish Bandits will come, then the adaptation of Ek Ruka Hua Faisla will come. Then Chava will come. I have done a South show, that will also come.
Have you ever thought of making a film based on a book?
I am working on writing short stories for children. My director friends also keep asking me to write for films, but I am happy writing books.
You, Sakshi, Saiyami were all strong female actors in this film. Was the atmosphere on the set different because of a female director like Tahira? Do you believe that female directors are able to tell such stories in a better way?
Of course when good people are around you get good wives. But I believe that now we should stop saying that this is a female-dominated film or a film directed by a female director, because when we say that we start celebrating that thing. We don't consider it normal. For men, we don't say that this is a male-dominated film or it is written by a male writer. I am waiting for the day when we start considering it normal and I am asked how did you like working with Tahira? Because every director, be it a man or a woman, has his own quality, his own sensibility. Tahira's way is that there is a fighting spirit in every character of hers. One very good thing I found was that despite being feminist, the film does not make men villains.
