Divya Dutta: I have done roles that was initially written for male actors

Divya Dutta

Divya Dutta was last seen in the film 'Sharmajee Ki Beti' directed by Tahira Kashyap Khurana. The actress made her debut in Hindi cinema in 1994 with the film 'Ishq Mein Jeena Ishq Mein Marna'. Over the years, she starred in several films including 'Veergati', 'Veer-Zaara', Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' , 'Welcome to Sajjanpur', 'Delhi-6', 'Stanley Ka Dabba', 'Heroine', and 'Gippi' among many others. Over the years, her choice in films has changed, and this she contributes to her practise of saying 'no'.

As Divya Dutta turns a year older, we revisit the time she spoke about rejecting several projects so that she finally starts getting projects that she really aspires to do.

In an earlier interview with Midday.com before the release of 'Sharmajee Ki Beti', Dutta reflected on the different kind of roles she is being offered now. "I used to get a lot of typical roles. You have to tell people you're not in. I think you have to make yourself quite out there, very clear that this is not what you want to do. I would say no to roles and slowly started getting projects to which I wanted to say yes. But it was a very gradual process."

Divya Dutta on doing roles that were written for men

"What I feel the happiest about is that I have done 3-4 roles that was initially written for male actors and then I ended up doing them. When filmmakers narrate stories to me they offer me a certain role. I tell them 'Yeah, but you know, that role is very interesting'. So the director would think out loud, 'should we make this female?' I said, 'Can we do it? He said, 'of course, there'll be more layers'. I like that flexibility and when people are open to such things, it's amazing," she shared.

"When I look back on those roles, I don't see a male actor doing it at all because they made it so interesting. So I think it's lovely that people are now open to giving women all that kind and more. These are very good times for actors. It's for you to choose what you really want to do," she concluded.