Divya Khosla Kumar discusses Satyameva Jayate sequel, says ‘Bharatiya naari sab par bhaari,’ defines her role in the film
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 13, 2020)

Divya Khosla Kumar, who plays John Abraham’s leading lady in writer-director Milap Zaveri’s Satyameva Jayate 2, insists that while the first part was “more of a cat-and-mouse chase”, the sequel tackles a larger issue. “It’s about the country and John and I take a strong stand against corruption in the film. Milap is shedding light on an important topic,” she shares, adding that her character is different from her real self. So, attending reading sessions came in handy.

While part one was all about John’s heroism, Divya assures that the new film has plenty of scope for the female protagonist, too. “I got a solo poster and Milap has written the line, ‘Bhartiya naari sab par bhari’ for me, which speaks a lot about my role,” she asserts. Moving forward, the plan is to take up more acting jobs. “I hope exciting stuff comes my way and I get to do different characters,” she beams.

After making her acting debut with the Akshay Kumar-starrer Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo, Divya stepped away from the limelight, only to return 13 years later with a short film, BulBul. She followed it up with the music video, “Yaad Piya Ki Aane Lagi”, and is now gearing up for a big screen comeback with Satyameva Jayate 2.

But she doesn’t think of it like a comeback. “I was always here. After Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo, I wanted to learn about things like cinematography and editing. The hunger to learn drove me towards the technical side of filmmaking,” she explains.

The actress turned director with Yaariyan and followed it up with Sanam Re. She is now prepping for her acting turn, which goes on the floors in April. “I feel there is a lot of untapped potential in me. This is a brilliant time to be an actor in the industry as it’s not just about the stars anymore, but the concept. Talent is being recognised,” she shares.

In the early 2000s, the actress appeared alongside Salman Khan in the music video “Honey Honey”. More recently, she was on his reality show, Bigg Boss 13, to promote her single. “Salman is my childhood crush; ever since I watched Maine Pyar Kiya. My cheeks go red whenever I see him. Even today, he calls me ‘Honey Honey’ after the song we did,” she blushes.

Divya is one of the producers on the Ajay Devgn-starrer Bhuj: The Pride of India with husband Bhushan Kumar. How excited is she for the film? “Firstly, I am so proud to see where Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior has reached because Ajay sir and his team worked hard to make the spectacular vision a reality. I am sure even Bhuj will be a big one,” she says.

Her husband is one of the busiest producers in the industry, with over 20 films lined up for release. “He has worked extremely hard in life. The banner was his father’s (the late Gulshan Kumar) dream and he has taken it so far. It was possible only because of the emotional connect between them. Both of us are middle class at heart,” she says.

Divya and Bhushan are parents to nine-year-old Ruhaan. Ask her if he aspires to enter Bollywood as well and she says, “He doesn’t know anything about the industry. He is an intelligent kid and wants to be an astronaut.” As a parting shot, she confirms there are no plans to return to direction right now. “It’s difficult to juggle acting and direction. I keep hearing scripts. I’d direct something in the future, but I am focused on acting for now.”

Bhushan Kumar, 38 & Divya Khosla Kumar, 31

Excited about their upcoming 11th wedding anniversary, the producer-director duo talk movies, melody and the meeting of hearts
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 7, 2016)

They met during a music session of her 2004 debut film, Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo. And almost immediately, Bhushan Kumar, the chairman and managing director of T-Series started plying the film's heroine, Divya Khosla, with messages. "I answered a few and then backed off. I belonged to a conservative Punjabi family and I didn't want to get too close to a rich boy who drove fast cars," reminisces Divya. The texts continued, four-five a day, and eventually, Bhushan's cousin, Ajay Kapoor, arrived in Delhi to find out why Divya wasn't replying to them. She pointed him in the direction of her parents. As soon as he left, she got another message from Bhushan, "What did she say? Did she say yes?" She figured it was for Ajay, sent to her by mistake.

The 27-year-old music magnate had just moved to Mumbai and was driving a new car every day, reportedly with a new girl by his side. Bhushan admits to his fascination with cool wheels ever since his father, the late Gulshan Kumar, had bought him a Toyota Sienna with wing doors when he was in Grade 11, followed by three Ferraris and a Lamborghini. "I was too possessive of my cars to take a girl in them. I only drove around with friends," he laughs off the rumours. But his family wanted him to settle down. Before his mother fixed a match, he sent her with a 'rishta' to the Khoslas who coaxed Divya. "Everything was on track in two months," he reminisces.

On February 13, a day after the release of Divya's second directorial, Sanam Re, the two will raise a toast to 11 years of wedded bliss. Over the years, she's accepted her workaholic husband who's on call even on holidays and who she waits till midnight to have dinner with. And he's learnt to give her the creative space she wants, supporting her through an anti-piracy film, music videos, a feature, Yaariyan, and now another. "Initially, I was nervous, worrying about the insult if the wife of a successful businessman failed. But I appreciated that like me, she didn't smoke, drink or party and was a vegetarian. She only wants to do something creative," he reasons. So when Divya approached him with two options, he greenlit Sanam Re after telling her the dialogues needed more work. On her part, she didn't burden him with her problems, even sorting out permission issues in Canada on her own. "People think it's easy with a producer husband, but I've always relied on my talent. I am a hands on director," she asserts.

At 19, after his father's death, Bhushan inherited his business empire and the ability to work hard and an ear for music. Today, his company is rumoured to be valued at Rs 500 crore, although he won't confirm. "I can't compose but I can select good music," he asserts. In 1999, two years after taking over, he released a non-film album, Deewana, a collaborative effort with composers Sajid-Wajid and lyricist Faiz Anwar. Bhushan was involved in everything, from the lyrics to the sound design.

But starting out wasn't easy. Top singers turned away, as he didn't inspire the confidence his father did, and moved to Tips, Venus and Sa Re Ga Ma. They'd pick up a Subhash Ghai or a Rakesh Roshan film and sell 10,000 cassettes on the first day itself. Even Sonu Nigam, his father's protege, had second thoughts about dubbing the songs of Deewana, only agreeing after Magnasound gave him the go ahead. Still, he refused to shoot for even one of the eight videos. "He complained that the songs were too slow and raved about the peppy tracks he'd recorded for Magnasound. Deewana is Sonu's best pop album, he still sings those songs," claims Bhushan who went on to experiment with a film, Tum Bin, Jagjit Singh ghazals and Punjabi pop, decimating the competition with a 95 per cent track record. He insists a music company can't be run by employees and that you have to be a hands-on boss with a finger on the audience's pulse.

Nothing fazes him. During the copyright controversy, when composers and singers moved away, he built up new talents like Mithoon, Amaal and Armaan Malik and Ankit Tiwari. The endeavour continues through singles which revive and recreate classics for Gen X. But aren't they also, dheere deere se, wiping out memories of Rahul Roy and Anu Aggarwal's Aashiqui and music directors like Nadeem-Shravan who once ruled on hoardings? "If it's a star like Aamir or Shah Rukh Khan, the memories will remain," Bhushan argues, informing that during Shoojit Sorcar's Madras Cafe an Ormax survey revealed that 25 per cent of the respondents didn't know who Rajiv Gandhi was. "If they don't remember a former Prime Minister how do you expect them to remember a music director after 25 years?" Touche!

Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; December 8, 2013)

Divya Khosla Kumar, 32, considers herself more talented than pretty and uses her spectacles to hide her looks. She is simple, sensitive and strong, but loves being pampered by her husband Bhushan Kumar. She is inspired by the women in her life, be it her mother or mom-in-law and would like her hard-working husband to give her more undivided time. She is a dedicated mother to her two-year-old son Ruhaan and considers him the real producer of her upcoming film Yaariyan more than her husband, as he was always on the set with her. Over an hour-long conversation with Bombay Times, she talks about her strong mother, her empathising mother-in-law and why she and Bhushan never talk about his father. Excerpts:
 
How did you become an actor?
I was born and brought up in Delhi. My mom was a teacher and my dad owned a small printing press where we printed visiting cards. They have their own house now, but until I was in the 10th, we lived in a rented place. I was always very studious and intelligent. I once remember coming back and telling my mother that there was not even a single book left in the library that I had not read. Even though we were middleclass, my parents always got me what I wanted. The only regret I have is that I would always tell my papa to get me a cycle and he did not, so I don’t know how to ride a cycle. I was very innocent and seedha-saadha and would never go out for parties and never had any boyfriends, even though half my school boys were after me. I was always clear that I did not want to let down my parents. I would get a lot of blank calls in my house and some boys would write letters in blood. I used to enjoy it, but my parents would feel bad. I was popular amongst boys, so girls never liked me. While doing my B.Com Honours, I started modelling at 18 for print ads. My mom, being from an army background, was okay with me modelling, even though my dad was not that comfortable. I was 20 when, despite everyone advising her against it, my mom allowed me to shift to Mumbai all alone. Even though I did not know a single person in Mumbai, I packed my bags and came here. My mom had this confidence that I would never do anything wrong in life. In my first year of living in Mumbai, I travelled in trains and changed seven PG accommodations as I had some very fast girls sharing my PG. Within my first year, I got a music video with Salman Khan. I also did a video with Abhijeet Bhattacharya. I first got a South film and auditioned to get my Bollywood break with Anil Sharma’s Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Sathiyo with Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol and Mr Bachchan. That film released in December 2004 and by February 2005, I had got married to Bhushan Kumar.
 
How did you meet Bhushan? I met him at Anil Sharma’s house as he was doing the music of that film. He started messaging and hounding me. Sometimes, I would get four messages before going into the shower and by the time I came out, there would be four more messages. He invited us for his sister’s wedding in Delhi. My mom met him and liked him instantly for his humility and pushed me to get married to him. Despite his achievement, his innocence reflected on his face and I too liked that and I agreed to marry him.
 
Talk about Bhushan? He is a very down-to-earth person, practical and very hard-working and I really admire the fact that he has dedicated his whole life to paying tribute to his father. He keeps so busy that till date, we have never had lunch or dinner together. Sometimes I tell him, ‘Why can’t you take an off?’ As a wife, I am very adjusting and want to give him his freedom and let him live his life the way he wants to. I don’t like that he doesn’t take me on a holiday. I would like him to be more loving towards me. For instance, when we are at home, he will only talk about Yaariyan even at 11 at night and that irritates me. He will tell me, ‘But it is your film I am talking about.’ Even though it is my film, I cannot discuss it anymore. He is emotional, but will not show it. He is strong and I have never seen him cry till date. I cry at the drop of a hat though he doesn't like it. He has a temper, but the good thing is that he will make up soon after and will say, ‘I am so stressed, so please understand.’ I also don’t like to stretch things too far. If he is rude, it hurts me. On Karva Chauth, I was fasting for him and he said something very rudely to me in his room and it hurt me. I cried, but I’m adjusting. He will never continue a fight and that is his quality. I think he likes my innocence, my honesty and simplicity.
 
Talk about your mother? My source of inspiration are the women in my life. My mom has faced numerous adversities, but she is brave and I look up to her for the way she handled it. The kind of faith she has in God is amazing. My nani was an army man’s wife and ran her own jewellery business from home. I get my creativity from her. I also respect my mom-in-law a lot. She comes from a normal middle-class family and despite the fact that she did not know a word of English, she has risen so much and now she handles T-Series in Delhi. I like her more than I like Bhushan. As a woman, she is understanding and I discuss all my issues with her. I always tell her, ‘You understand me more than my husband.’ It’s difficult to find mom-in-laws like that. I have always been a good daughter and try to be a good daughter-in-law and always listen to whatever she says. Both my mom and mom-in-law are strong women. I am too sensitive and have a long way to go vis-a-vis them.
 
Who are you most attached to? My son. I can sleep without Bhushan, but I can’t sleep without my son.
 
Does Bhushan ever discuss his father Gulshan Kumar with you? His father was a genius and it is not possible to be like him. Bhushan is nowhere close to his father. Post his father’s death, when he was 19, he changed his lifestyle and worked extremely hard. He doesn’t talk about his father or show his feelings. And I don’t touch upon it as it is a sensitive topic. I don’t think he discusses it even with his mom. If there is something coming on TV about his father, I immediately look at his face and get troubled. His father was a visionary. His vision was also to grow T-Series into films and reach every house and that is what Bhushan wants to do and is his tribute to his father.

Why did you take to direction? I came here to achieve something in life and not to get married. I came here to satisfy my creative thirst. And I am really proud that I have made this film without assisting any director. It’s a fact that the industry is shellshocked seeing my trailer and they will be more shell-shocked when they see the film. My husband is also flying these days as he has seen the film. If he didn’t like it, he would not promote it. Sometimes I feel very bad when people say, ‘Oh, she is Bhushan’s wife and it must be so easy for her’. But I want to say that it has been eight years since my marriage and had it not been difficult, it would not have taken me this much time to make a film. It’s been a long struggle. After I married Bhushan, I felt that the best way to channelise my creativity would be to make a film. I did a course in cinematography from Mumbai because he did not want me to go away to New York, as he would then have to stay without me. Also, he did not want me to assist anyone, so I started doing editing at our office. One day I told him, ‘Give me a music video. I want to direct it.’ He gave me Agam Nigam’s video (Sonu Nigam’s father) and I did it and it became a blockbuster hit. I then did many videos and landed up doing 20 of them before I got trained in direction and production.

How was it to work with Salman?
Salman was very nice to work with. He is a very sweet person. He has gone through so many ups and downs that has made him strong and deep. He is a very good human being.

What does Yaariyan mean to you?
I am ambitious. And more than pretty, I consider myself talented. I would often hide my looks behind my specs. My son Ruhaan was on the set with me and he was just one when I started directing. Bhushan came for only four days during the shoot. So I feel that my son is the true producer of the film. It’s difficult to be a mother and even tougher to be a director. I was doing both together. If it succeeds, it will not just be the success of the film, but of the principle that a girl without stooping down and compromising on her morals, keeping her dignity intact, can do it in this man’s world. And that if you are intelligent and talented, every woman can reach where she wants to. We women are stronger than men and need not feel insecure. Even if it takes longer, your destiny will always come to you. I consider myself God’s child. I came to Mumbai to achieve my destiny and I have to achieve it with this film. There is no other way.