Actor Divya Dutta says that she currently has as many as six projects in hand, where she will be seen in lead roles. After her acclaimed performance in Dhaakad, the actor seems to be on a roll. Dutta, who has a penchant for picking roles that always leave an impact on the story, says that “times are changing” and that she has also never been told that she cannot play a certain age.

“I have releases lined up and they are all leads. Makers aren’t going by the typical hero-heroine thing now. Times are changing. Recently, I played the protagonist in the Punjabi film Maa, where I played a 25-year-old, and then aged till 65. I have never been told I can’t play a certain age in films. In fact, I am told I am getting better,” beams the 45-year-old.

In an industry where female actors have forever had to battle various stereotypes, including that of having a longer shelf life, does she look at herself as an exception then? She disagrees. “We give too much importance to age when we talk about it. Audience now wants to see a complete woman with positive, negative as well as grey shades,” she quips.

The actor recently attended the Prithvi Theatre Festival in Mumbai. When we asked her if she feels that theatre has always been age agnostic, and that has seeped into showbiz as well, Dutta says, “That’s a different medium. Of course, I will see a play for a particular actor because I relate to those faces. Like Shabana Azmi ji did Tumhari Amrita for 22 years. Naseer sahab (Naseeruddin Shah) played a role for years. These were not age dependent at all.”

The actor wraps up saying that the audience has just become more receptive to the many layers that a character may have.