For actor Ishita Dutta Sheth, life has come full circle. “It was my first film, and meri pehchaan comes from this film,” she says.

As the Drishyam franchise where she plays Anju Salgaonkar, reaches its climax with Drishyam: The Conclusion, Dutta admits the box-office response has been overwhelming. “We were surprised. Itna zyada intezar tha logo ko; it was a huge surprise for all of us.”

Living through the annual “October 2” meme mania, she laughs, “That was the perfect release date. Every year, I get flooded with messages.” The pop-culture ritual involving Satsang, pav bhaji, and Panaji has even gone global.

“I have friends abroad who get those October 2 messages without fail,” she chuckles. “They might forget my birthday, but they definitely message me saying, ‘Went to Satsang, then took a train.’ That dialogue has become an absolute rage.”

As for whether the franchise will continue, Dutta reveals, “When I was told this was the conclusion, I told everyone, ‘Make another one, I’ll commit another murder!’ When I shot the first film 12 years ago, nobody knew it would become this big. It gave me immense recognition. Ending it feels bittersweet, but good stories need a proper conclusion before they get dragged out. That said, it’s a very open ending, so you never know!”

On working with family friend and reel-life dad Ajay Devgn, she says, “He’s more than a co-star; our families bond beautifully. Strangely, I keep landing projects with him unknowingly—not just Drishyam, but De De Pyaar De 2 as well.”

Recalling the prep for the latter, she laughs, “I was seven months pregnant, and the team told me we’d shoot in four months. I thought, ‘From which angle will I look like Ajay sir’s daughter right now?’ I was 20 kilos over! I had to immediately start prepping post-delivery to get back in shape.”

She adds, “Shooting with him feels like having a family member on set. I remember craving pani-puri in Chandigarh; the team warned me against eating it there, so Ajay sir arranged for the best from a trusted shop. It was a humbling gesture.”

Vatsal Sheth and Ishita Dutta Sheth are all set to become parents. Just like their low-key wedding at Iskcon Temple in Mumbai in November 2017, the news of the pregnancy was known only to a few family members and close friends initially. The couple recently shared the news on social media. 

Talking about this new phase in their lives, Ishita says, “We are very excited and not exactly prepared, but we are looking forward to it. Every day is a new day. The body is going through a different experience.”

Vatsal adds, “We have been married for five years, but we hadn’t made a conscious decision to have children only after we are settled in our careers. Just like marriage is a milestone, having a child is another milestone. Work keeps happening and you continue to work hard, but welcoming our baby will definitely be the beginning of a beautiful new chapter in our lives.”

Sharing how Ishita broke the news to Vatsal, she says, “I got to know about it in the morning and was waiting for Vatsal to come home. Initially, I wanted to plan something big and share the good news with him, but then I could not wait and told him as soon as he got home.”

Ishita, who is in her second trimester, shared that the baby is due in a few months and she is happy to see her husband fussing over her. “Vatsal is very fit and he is watchful of what he eats and would not let me have a lot of mithai. But now he lets me eat anything I like. In fact, he fulfils my demands immediately. We will think of some baby names soon,” she shares.

The two actors, who have been busy working, were away from each other for a month. Vatsal has been shooting for a Gujarati film, while Ishita has been shooting for a Hindi movie. Vatsal says, “I have also shot for a web series and will be busy throughout the year.”

Ishita wants to continue working during her pregnancy. She says, “As long as the makers are okay with my pregnancy, I will continue to shoot. I want to continue working post pregnancy, too. Of course, when the baby arrives, a lot of things will change and life will take a new direction, but I would like to start working once we settle down after a few months. Vatsal and I love making reels, so yes, social media will also be another important thing to explore.”

Vatsal adds, “I think once the baby arrives, I will be a complete hands-on father and that’s when the feeling will sink in.”