Divya Dutta he recently opened up about his early days in the industry, revealing that he had a rough go of it once in a while Salman Khan and Farhan Akhtar—only to end up playing their sister on screen.In an interview with Shubhankar Mishra, Divya laughed off the irony and admitted that at one point she questioned the casting. “Maine poocha bhi tha—mere jazbaaton se kyun khel rahe ho?” he said, recalling how he dealt with the situation with humor.
‘Salman ke saath kaam karna hi badi baat thi’
Talking about her experience with Salman, the actor shared that the crush never led to awkwardness on the set. “Jab Salman ke saath kaam kiya, tab aisa kuch feel hi nahi tha. Main uss position mein bhi nahi thi ki kuch bolun. Unke saath kaam karna hi mere liye badi baat thi. He was very kind to me,” she said, adding that the superstar was “very protective” during the shoot.He also recalled being attracted to Salman’s initial screen persona. “Woh Maine Pyar Kiya phase – innocence and mischievous charm and combination – but it’s endearing,” he added.
‘Farhan nahi, mujhe Milkhaji dikhe’
With Farhan, however, Divya asked filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra about being cast as her sister. “Maine poocha ki mujhe behen ka role kyun de rahe ho. Unhone kaha-tum actor ho,” he recalled.But his perspective changed drastically when he saw the character of Farhan. “Jab set par gayi aur unhe dekha, mujhe Farhan nahi, Milkhaji dikhe. Tab laga main kitni chhoti baat ko lekar baithi thi,” he said, adding that the two eventually became good friends.
First meeting with ‘filmi’ Shah Rukh Khan
Divya also shared an anecdote about her first meeting with Shah Rukh Khan, saying it was only from the cinema. He recalled stumbling down the stairs carrying his briefcase so the superstar could help him pick it up.“Unhone ‘Hi Divya’ bola. Main shock ho gayi ki unhe mera naam kaise pata. Unhone kaha mera naam shortlist mein tha,” he said.Explaining Shah Rukh’s enduring appeal, Divya added, “Woh women ko bahut respect aur pyaar se treat karte hain, especially co-actors ko. Unka andaaz aur tehzeeb unhe alag banata hai.”
‘Unhone pooch kar meri line li’
The actor also praised Shah Rukh’s humility, recalling an incident on the sets of Veer-Zaara. “Unhone mujhse pooch kar meri line li—jabki unhe poochne ki zarurat nahi thi. That’s the kind of person he is,” he said.He also revealed how he once ensured the safety of his female stars at the airport, waiting for everyone to leave. “Aap aisi cheezein bhool nahi sakte,” he added.
‘Incredibly beautiful with a mischievous innocence’
Summing up her admiration for Salman, Divya said, “Ek toh he looks so good, aur unki aankhon mein ek naughty innocence thi—jo bohot endearing hai.”Despite initial crushes and unexpected casting choices, Divya’s take remains rooted in craft. “Actor hoon… aur jab role itna umda ho, toh sab secondary ho jata hai,” he signed off.
