Mumbai: After sustaining a career of over two decades in the Hindi film industry, actress Divya Dutta feels encouraged for more with her National Award win. With nearly 10 films in the pipeline, she is counting her blessings and says it’s a very special year for her as an artiste.
“With all the films that are coming up, the audience will see me in a variety of roles. Each one is very different from another,” Divya told in an interview.
While her performance in the latest release “Blackmail” has won her lot of praise, it is for her role in the film “Irada” that has won her a National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress”.
Divya is excited about the series of films lined up in her kitty.
“I am doing ‘Fanne Khan’ opposite Anil Kapoor, I am playing a part in ‘Manto’, there’s ‘Nasik’ opposite Arjun Rampal, then I am doing a film called ‘Music Teacher’ opposite Manav Kaul, one untitled project opposite Arshad Warsi, a multi-starrer film ‘Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai’, Nitin Kakkar-directed ‘Ram Singh Charlie’. “I will also be seen in a pivotal role in Malala Yousafzai,” the actress said in one breath, promptly adding: “That’s quite a fish tank, isn’t it?”
Divya is especially excited about the film “Manto”, a biopic on Urdu writer Saadat Hasan Manto. The Nandita Das directorial has been selected for the Un Certain Regard competition section of the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
“Nandita is a very good and sensible filmmaker since she is an actress herself. I really liked her working style. My character is pretty intense, bold and the story is to an extent disturbing. I cannot name the story but that is a very interesting character I played,” she added.
Having started her journey as an actress in 1994, Divya is known for her fine performance in films like “Veer-Zaara”, “Aaja Nachle”, “Welcome to Sajjanpur”, “Delhi-6” and “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag”.
She has had the good fortune to work with some celebrated filmmakers like Yash Chopra, Shyam Benegal and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.
So, was becoming an actress a dream?
“Coming from a family of doctors, I never had any formal training in acting. I think I always wanted to be in performing art. In my school and college days, I used to be the best actress whenever I participated in drama and theatre,” she said.