Divya Dutta entered Bollywood as a teenager, just 16, making her debut with ‘Ishq Mein Jeena Ishq Mein Marna’. She earned recognition with the 1999 Punjabi film ‘Shaheed-e-Mohabbat Boota Singh’. However, she admits that finding consistent work wasn’t easy for several years. Things took a turn after ‘Veer Zaara’, which brought her widespread success and a flood of offers. Divya ended up signing around 20 films but eventually returned the money for many of them after a conversation with Aditya Chopra.
Divya Dutta reflects on her early years
In her conversation with Hindustan Times, Divya reflects on her career and why she now focuses on quality rather than quantity. She admits, “I felt out of place. For me, finding my place was a journey in itself. Along the way, you realise what you want. As life happens to you, it is when that clarity of thought comes to you ki mujhe kya chahiye (what do I want). You find your niche, your calling, and you know what your next step should be.”
Divya Dutta recalls signing 20 films
Reflecting on her career, the actor recalls that around 2007 she took on 20 odd films because there was a time when she didn’t have any. After a long phase without work, she was suddenly offered many projects, so she decided to take them all.
Divya Dutta’s advice from Aditya Chopra
Divya eventually stepped back from all the films she hadn’t yet started after an unplanned conversation with Aditya Chopra, her collaborator on Veer-Zaara and Aaja Nachle. “One day, I went to Aditya Chopra to just meet and have a cup of chai. We had just finished Aaja Nachle. I told him I signed 20 films. He did not respond, so I asked him, ‘Aren’t you excited for me?’ He said, ‘Is there a dearth of work for you or financially?’ I was very taken aback and said no. Then he asked me why I was signing so many films. ‘You are a very good actor, why don’t you leave a legacy behind?’,” recalls Divya.
Divya Dutta changes her perspective
Divya shares that her meeting with Aditya Chopra turned out to be a turning point in how she approached her career and choices. “It hit me hard,” she says, “I had not thought of it this way. It was my choice whether to listen to him or continue making money with those 20 films. There was a lot at stake. But I went back and returned the signing amounts of the films I hadn’t started. From then on, I only did stuff that I enjoyed. That was the stand I took.”
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Divya Dutta’s National Award and recent projects
In 2017, Divya’s performance in Irada earned her the National Award for Best Supporting Actress. Over the years, she has also been part of several successful films, including ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’, ‘Badlapur’, and ‘Chhaava’. Most recently, she appeared in the web series ‘Chiraiya’, which is currently streaming on JioHotstar.
