Divya Dutta’s portrayal of Soyarabai in Chhaava has won her widespread acclaim, adding yet another powerful performance to her impressive filmography. With the film setting new box office records, does she see it as a much-needed win for an industry struggling with multiple flops?

“I’ve always believed that as an actor, you do your job, and when a film does exceptionally well, it becomes a part of history,” she says, adding, “I’ve been fortunate to be in Veer-Zaara (2004), Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), Badlapur (2015), and now Chhaava. These are films people remember — they become ingrained in their psyche.”

One question that has repeatedly come her way is about her limited screen time in the epic drama: “Some portions were removed, and I’m sure the makers had their reasons. There was a beautiful scene that got deleted, and to my surprise, it leaked online. But what truly matters is the presence of a role. If people felt, ‘aur thoda hona chahiye tha’, that’s because woh actually tha film mein.”

Despite this, she remains unfazed: “The audience didn’t know about the deleted portions, yet they loved the character. I was in Pune recently when someone came up to hug me and said, ‘I hated you in the film, but you’re such a gem in real life!’ Credit to the makers — the character had a towering presence that lingered. And that’s the best part.”