Friday, February 7th, 2025

Interview: It’s beautiful to have a partner but I’m happy being single – Divya Dutta

Bollywood actress Divya Dutta has been a part of the industry for many years. She has done many films but she could never become the main lead. Now Divya is back with her film ‘Sharma Ji Ki Beti’ and she has talked about many things related to it. Let us tell you everything.

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 a godfather, has completed a wonderful 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:This year you have completed 30 years in the industry. Like your character Kiran, you too came to Mumbai from Ludhiana and made it big on your own. How much struggle and challenges did you face in this journey?
There were many challenges. Like you said, I had come from outside so I did not know whom to meet, what to do. I only knew that I wanted to become an actor but who were the right people? Which was the right film? What was the right launch? I did not know all this. You try, mistakes happen and you correct them. I got a lot of rejections in the beginning. Earlier I did not get films because I was very 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-starrers. Then I got Train to Pakistan, where I had the role of a child 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 select actors who have worked with great directors of both kinds of cinema – Shyam Benegal, Rituparno Ghosh, Rakesh Mehra, Yash Chopra.

As you said, initially there were a lot of rejections, 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 brought our talent but people did not 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 believe it. There were many films which I thought I was doing, but I did not get them, so I was shocked that how can they reject me like this? Why are they lying? I felt that this is very wrong but my family, especially my mother and my brother never let me feel that this is everything. One day when another girl replaced me and I came home crying a lot, my mother said that 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 that one person who gives you this confidence. I was fortunate that my mother was that person for me.

In the film, your character Kiran also struggles with loneliness. You yourself are single. Do you ever miss a companion? Karan Johar had said that even if you have friends and family, the place of a companion remains empty. How much do you agree?
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 I don’t have one, I go with my friends but I am ready for surprises in life. You never know what will happen when but I also have a feeling of completeness in myself. There is no dependence on anyone else or need for anyone. If there is someone then it is very good, if there is no one then also I am fine.

You are appearing 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 will be released 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 come.

What’s going on with the writing? Have you ever thought of adapting a book into a film?
I am working on writing short stories for children. My director friends also keep telling me to write for films but I am happy writing books.

In this film, you, Sakshi, Saiyami were all strong female actors together. Was the atmosphere on the set different in any way because there was 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-oriented film or a film directed by a female director, because when we say so, we start celebrating that thing. We do not consider it normal. For men, we do not say that it is a male-oriented film or it has been written by a male writer. I am waiting for the day when we start finding this normal and I am asked how did you like working with Tahira? Because every director, be it a man or a woman, has his/her own quality, his/her own sensitivity. 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.

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