NEW DELHI: Divya Dutta debuted in Ishq Mein Jeena, Ishq Mein Marna in 1994: a box office dud. The spunky actor refused to be lost in the mire of multicast movies of the ’90s and carved a prominent niche for herself in a career spanning over two decades. Seen in films including Suraksha, Agnisakhshi, LOC: Kargil, Veer-Zara, Welcome To Sajjanpur and Delhi 6. Since then, she carefully charted her career with an impactful presence in films like Lootera, Stanley Ka Dabba, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, and Badlapur. This year she will be seen in some interesting projects including Anubhav Sinha’s Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai, and Sheer Korma, besides two major web series, debuting in digital streaming platforms. We caught up with this vivacious artiste for a chat on. Excerpts:
It has been a long and uphill battle for you. Take us through your journey?
It’s been long but I never saw it as a struggle. There are ups and downs in life and each experience is a learning process that contributes to a person’s growth. I had always been passion-driven and wanted to act in different roles but when I debuted, a lot of multicast movies were being made where I had nothing much to do as an actor except parroting a few lines and singing and dancing. Not that I don’t love playing a mainstream heroine, but I never wanted to get lost in the crowd. I am lucky to find a niche in significantly meaty roles keeping me in mind.
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How did you prepare for the role of Malala Yousafzai’s mom in Gul Makai?
The movie is extensively shot in Kashmir and parts of Gujarat. It’s a very different character, where I had to speak in an Urdu dialect since the family is Pakistani. I have even sung in Pushtu. Many scenes were shot at one go with eight cameras.
You are also a part of Anubhav Sinha’s next, Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai and Sheer Korma?
I play the head of a news channel here. This is going to be a comical satire on coalition politics. There are so many talented actors in it, including Pankaj Tripathi, Saurabh Shukla, Vinay Pathak and others, and I am excited to be a part of it. In Faraz Arif Ansari’s Sheer Korma, I am in a same-sex relationship with Swara Bhaskar. It’s the first such role for me.
Let’s talk about your web debut
You’ll finally see me in brilliant roles in two major web series by two of my favourite directors. Recently, I also did a 17-minute short film, Plus Minus, which has garnered more than 18 million views on YouTube till now.