Divya Dutta (left) as Shabbo in with Preity Zinta in Veer Zaara (2004)

Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 4, 2020)

The image of the Hindi film industry has lately been painted in a negative light. But when asked about the headlines that the industry has been making, actor Divya Dutta says that we all generally “have a herd mentality”.

“Jo ek baat kehta hai sab wahi kehte hain. We grab on to that and that phase goes on. People will just harp on that for a while until something more interesting and catchy comes by to latch on to. “

The 42-year-old, who has been a part of the industry for over two decades now, feels that every workplace has its share of pros and cons. “I don’t even get the insiders and outsiders debate because everyone who is good will make it, be it an outsider or insider. It is just the matter of getting that first opportunity. Hamare liye initial time mushkil hai,” says the actor who stars in Ram Singh Charlie.

Further shedding light on how her journey started, Dutta says, “When I came to the industry, I didn’t know how to meet people or how to tell them that I am good enough and how to get my first break. It can be a longer process for people like us but I have survived beautifully without being a part of any group, so have a lot of people. People respect you for who you are rather than which group you are a part of,” the actor explains.

Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 10, 2020)

The insider vs outsider debate has been reignited with actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s shocking demise, and talks about camps and privileged groups dominating the Hindi film industry continue to fill the chatter. While many actors have called out this prevalent culture in Bollywood, actor Divya Dutta feels that the bigger problem is favouritism.

“I don’t think there is anything called an outsider or an insider. One may come as an outsider to this film industry, but still join a group. So, when you look at these so-called groups, do they only comprise star kids? No, outsiders also are a part of the group,” she says, adding, “So, it is about favouritism, that’s is the word that should be used. And this exists everywhere.”

Dutta, however, feels that there should be no judgments based on the people an actor is friends with in the industry as that’s “their personal choice”.

She explains, “You can’t judge people for favouring somebody. That happens in every field. Everyone has their own journey. All we need to do is introspect, and be sensitive towards others.”

Another topic that has come to limelight now, is the importance of mental health. Dutta feels there is no point just tweeting about the matter and reducing it to merely a “panel discussion”.

“The problem is that we are very superficial. We are not reaching out to people. It irritates me that we are tweeting away on social media but beyond that, what are we doing? Where is your sensitivity?” she asks.

Maintaining her stance that such practices apply to everyone and not just the film industry, Dutta adds, “It is not just about actors. It is just that our lives are right at the face of the world, so it is mostly, in the forefront. Every field has its pressures and stress factors.”

Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 8, 2020)

The Coronavirus lockdown has seen everyone’s creative juices flowing and it has made Divya Dutta pen her first poem. Titled Jab sab theek hoga na, the piece beautifully captures the ethos of the current crisis.

Talking about how she invoked the poet in her, Dutta shares, “I was trying to write my next book and I have a deadline. I was very stressed out and couldn’t concentrate. One fine day, I was walking my dog and I thought that the things we are doing right now, like helping each other out, feeding the strays, asking after watchman, etc. will we keep doing them everything is back to normal?”

The 42-year-old says that she penned it in five minutes.

“I wonder if we will be as compassionate as we are right now, after this crisis is over. May be a lot of people will just go about their lives, thanking God that this is over. But I feel a few of us will come out of this as changed. It can be just 10% of the entire population, but even then a lot will be gained I think. So it depends on how sensitive you are to things,” she says.

Dutta says this lockdown has been a learning experience for her in terms of how it made her realise that she was leading a very fast-paced life, which would often steal her away from enjoying life itself.

“Life has slowed down drastically. We all needed the basics coming back to our life jo hum sab bhool gaye hain kahi na kahi. Now, you have time to do think, ponder and reflect, work on relationship and just be. I started watching birds in the evening and it is so therapeutic,” the actor shares.

She also is optimistic that the country will bounce back from this crisis.

“Yeh bada chaanta pada hai sabko. We had somewhere done something really wrong to the environment. Now look, we are locked down in our houses and the birds and animals are out. This is divine justice. Some people, who are sensitive, will learn something and then again there will always be some who will be like chalo kaam pe chalein,” Dutta says.

It's not her biography insists Divya Dutta, as she gears to write her next book
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; April 26, 2020)

"Writing a book is no joke," starts off Divya Dutta, whose last published work, Me and Ma, hit the stands in 2017. Trying to meet her publisher's deadline, the actor has already begun work on her next book amidst the lockdown.

The actor agrees that it takes up most of her time. "I think people liked my nostalgic journey [in Me And Ma] and it's beautiful to express what you feel and find a connect with the readers," says Dutta, as she makes writing her priority.

She reveals that being in the film industry for almost two decades has provided fodder for her book. "I am writing a memoir on the film industry. It will chronicle my journey in cinema, but I wouldn't call it a biography," says the actor as she explains that the earlier book was also a chapter of her life, but through the eyes of her mother. "This is going to be different from what I have written or shared before," says Dutta of the yet-untitled book.

Dutta's next, Sheer Qorma, is a story on the LGBTQAI+ community. She credits her impulsive nature for her choice of films. "I am called a risk-taker because I am impulsive about my choices. I go by my intuition when I get a script. The story of Sheer Qorma moved me as it talks about acceptance by the people you love unconditionally," says the actor, adding Fire (1996) was ahead of its time.

"I hope this film will help normalise something that we make an issue out of."

Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 12, 2020)

For actor Divya Dutta, life in Coronavirus lockdown is busier than before. “I don’t think anybody ever heard about the entire world sitting at home… Either you can crib about it or have fun. I am learning to cook all my mother’s recipes. Most maids are gone, so I am doing the cleaning work as well,” she says.

On what has made her life in isolation so busy, Dutta, 42, says, “I am trying to write my next book. And, I have three kids in the house — my niece, nephew and my pet. Time ka pata hi nahi chalta. In the mornings, I try to finish all the chores. This is me-time for me.”

So far in the lockdown, Dutta’s social media posts have been about sweet things such as doing karaoke with her brother, but she hasn’t put a single post to advise people or share any workout/ cooking video. Asked if she is consciously staying away from all this, Dutta says, “I love interacting with people, but I need to disconnect. I want to wear my pyjamas, be myself... which I have probably not done in ages.”

Divya Dutta is the only person from the shoot of her upcoming film to return home just before the shutdown
Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 25, 2020)

Divya Dutta was shooting for her upcoming film, Maa, in Punjab, till the film bodies called for a complete shutdown on production work for March 19-31 in light of the Coronavirus outbreak. The actress admits there was a lot of confusion in the days leading up to the decision. “Initially, we thought the outbreak was too distant to impact our lives, but when it became more real by the day, we took all precautions, including masks, hand sanitisers, washing hands and cutting down on the number of people on the unit. We even changed a location, from outside a hospital to a school,” she informs.

The National Award-winning actress is the only one from the team to have returned home. “I was travelling with my pet dog, Sakhi, in the train and reached Mumbai just before everything shut down,” she recounts, adding that the rest of the cast and crew, all mostly from Vancouver, are stuck in Punjab now. Since the film is only half complete, the makers won’t be able to release the Mother India-inspired story on Mother’s Day as per plan.

Meanwhile, Divya is making the most of the unexpected break, singing with her doctor-brother, Rahul, and working on her book. “I am on a deadline,” she shares, adding that she is also painting and cooking a little. “Most of my time in the kitchen is spent on building up my immunity. I am going back to the basics, beginning my day with a concoction made out of boiling turmeric, ginger and cloves in water. I keep having warm water with lemon throughout the day and also some haldi doodh,” she shares.

Ask her how she’s coping with home confinement and Divya points out that our grandmothers have been preaching safe practices long before the outbreak. “As a child, I would crib about visiting our ancestral home in Punjab, as the loo was located outside the house. Suddenly it makes perfect sense. Removing footwear outside the house, washing hands before eating, all this is a part of our culture,” she asserts, adding that now is the perfect time to reconnect with it.


Divya Dutta and her pet dog Sakhi returning to Mumbai by train

Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 14, 2020)

She isn’t one to shy away from stepping out of her comfort zone and take up roles that make her push the envelope. Divya Dutta, be it in Delhi-6 (2009), Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), or Badlapur (2015), has always managed to leave an impact on the audience, even if she had a small role in the film.

Ask her, however, if initially she had plans to become a commercial, mainstream film actor, which people aspire to be, replete with drama and dance, and she quips, “Yes! I realised however, after Veer-Zaara (2004), that the significance of a role is not just about being glamorous. What you give to a role is what’s integral to the story. Now everything is so story and character-oriented. In fact, one of my directors told me ‘you know that big heroine? She wants to do your role’.”

She goes on to add that she has seen actors turn down roles because they were ‘small’. “Earlier, we used to say ‘chhota role nahi karenge’. I never said that, but I’ve seen girls say it. Now, they say ‘chhota hai, koi baat nahi, impactful hai na?’”

We also mention the debates that arise around casting, such as Bhumi Pednekar and Taapsee Pannu playing older characters on screen (instead of old actors being cast), and Bhumi being made to change her skin’s colour for her role in Bala (2019).

Divya herself had to colour her skin for Delhi-6. “You had Anupam Kher play an old man in Saraansh (1984), Nargis ji played Mother India (1957) at the peak of her career… it’s not about who is playing it, it’s how you play it. The film you mentioned, if something was questionable, it was makeup and VFX. I once lost a role because I was told I am fair. They were looking for a village woman with a darker skin tone. They told me ‘you suit the role completely’. I asked ‘then why am I not doing it?’ They replied ‘you are too fair for the role’. I felt a little cheated at not being able to do something because of skin colour. But I am an actor. I was darkened for Delhi 6. I used to go on set at 4 am, mera mazaak udta tha for the call time. I used to take so long to get ready. But here was a director (Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra), who interested me with a role. I saw Saand Ki Aankh, I thought the girls did a good job. Thodi der ke baad main bhool gayi (that they are younger actors playing older characters),” says Divya.