Past imperfect, present tense for Ishita Dutta

Reprising her role in Drishyam 2, Ishita says challenging to play character who suffers from anxiety attacks rooted in troubled past

Seven years can be a long wait to reprise a character. As director Abhishek Pathak’s Drishyam 2 opens in cinemas today, Ishita Dutta says her character Anju has changed a lot since the first instalment of the Ajay Devgn and Tabu-led thriller. It was the death of Anju’s classmate that kicked off the cat-and-mouse chase in the 2015 thriller. “[The death] happened accidentally. It has been traumatic for my character. So, over the years, she has become insecure, fidgety, and suffers  from anxiety attacks and fits. Her father [played by Devgn] tries to ensure that her condition doesn’t worsen,” says Dutta.  

Drishyam 2 comes seven years after its first edition

Portraying the character who suffers from anxiety attacks and fits required considerable prep. The actor says that an incident during one of her TV show shoots helped her gain a better understanding of the condition. “A member of the team had got a fit on the set of my TV show. It was heartbreaking to see them suffer. When I joined the Drishyam 2 shoot, I borrowed from this incident,” she states. 

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Besides the crime thriller, Dutta has two projects in her kitty that will see her reunite with actor-husband Vatsal Sheth after Rishton Ka Saudagar — Baazigar (2016). “All I can say for now is that we were supposed to start one film in September, but it got pushed ahead. It will roll early next year, while the second film is scheduled to start mid-2023.”

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