Divya Dutta She entered Bollywood as a teenager, at the age of 16, making her debut with the film ‘Ishq Mein Jeena Ishq Mein Marna’. He gained recognition with the 1999 Punjabi film ‘Shaheed-e-Mohabbat Boota Singh’. However, he admits that finding consistent work over the years was not easy. Things took a turn for him after ‘Veer Zaara’ which brought him huge success and a flood of offers. Divya He ended up signing about 20 films but ended up refunding many of them after an interview Aditya Chopra.
Divya Dutta reflects on her early years
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Divya reflects on her career and why she now focuses on quality rather than quantity. As he admits, “I felt out of place. For me, finding my place was a journey in itself. Along the way, you realize what you want. As life happens to you, 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 his career, the actor recalls that around 2007 he took on 20-odd films because at one time he had none. After a long period without work, he was suddenly offered many projects, so he decided to take them all.
Advice from Divya Dutta Aditya Chopra
Divya finally backed out of all the films she had yet to start after an unplanned conversation with Aditya Chopra, her co-star in Veer-Zaara and Aaja Nachle. “One day, I went to meet Aditya Chopra and have a cuppa. We had just finished Aaja Nachle. I told him I had signed 20 films. He didn’t answer, and I asked him, ‘Aren’t you excited?’ He said: “Is there a shortage of work for you or financially?”. I was very taken back and said no. Then he asked me why I was signing so many films. “You’re a very good actor, why don’t you leave a legacy behind?” Divya recalls.
Divya Dutta changes her approach
Divya shares that her meeting with Aditya Chopra was a turning point in how she approached her career and opportunities. “He gave me a hard time,” he says, “I didn’t think about it that way. It was my choice to either listen to him or continue to make money with those 20 films. There was a lot at stake. But I went back and returned the number of signatures for the movies I didn’t start. From then on, I only did things that I liked. That was the position I took.“
Divya Dutta’s National Award and recent projects
In 2017, Divya’s performance in Irad won her the National Award for Best Supporting Actress. Over the years, he has been a part of several hit films including ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’, ‘Badlapur’ and ‘Chhaava’. Recently, she appeared in the web series ‘Chiraiya’, currently streaming on JioHotstar.
