Seema Mattoo (BOMBAY TIMES; August 31, 2018)

Actress Divya Dutta is happy that the Punjabi version of the popular play Tumhari Amrita, which had hit a roadblock after Om Puri’s sudden demise, has been revived. The play, titled Teri Amrita, was translated into Punjabi with Divya and Om Puri in the lead.

Though it suffered a major setback following the actor’s death, Punjabi actor-singer Gurdas Maan will now fill in his shoes. Divya says, “Work on the play had come to a standstill, but one day, Naseer saab (Naseeruddin Shah) asked me about it. That was when I decided to work on it again.”

Divya shares that the play is close to her heart. “I love theatre and have been away for long, but this play is special, as it was my (late) mom’s dream to start our own production house. So, we decided to start with this play, which will see me as a director and actor. When we were looking to cast someone as Om ji’s replacement, we realised that Gurdas Maan is the best choice.”

About her connect with the Punjabi actor-singer, she says, “My Punjabi film debut, too, was with Gurdas ji. He is a legend and it is great to work with him since he is humility personified. As an actor, he is spontaneous.”

Gurdas, too, is excited about the project, “I started my journey on stage, and have always wanted to revisit the medium. I am a huge fan of this play and we have been rehearsing regularly. The fact that I am replacing Om Puri ji makes my responsibility greater.”