In character

AKASH NIHALANI MEETS UP WITH THE TALENTED DIVYA DUTTA AND COMES AWAY IMPRESSED

AKASH NIHALANI

There’s something about Divya Dutta. She may not have made it as a leading lady in Hindi cinema but no one can deny that she’s a powerhouse of talent. She’s the sort who’ll sparkle even in a two-minute role. She’ll engross you with her histrionics on the screen. Incidentally, Divya was launched as a heroine in 1994 with Ishq Mein Jeena Ishq Mein Marna. When her career as a lead actress didn’t take off, she started playing character roles in Hindi films. She then turned her attention to Punjabi films. And what she couldn’t do in Hindi cinema, she achieved up North. She became a leading lady and her pairing with Gurdas Maan got much acclaim. After making a mark in films and TV, Dutta is now shining on OTT. She recently won the Best Actor In A Supporting Role In A Drama Series (Female) for her role in Special OPS.

OTT seems to be the future of entertainment and has levelled the playing field for performers like her, so to speak. She admits that these indeed are exciting times for an actor, she points out that twenty years ago, TV was touted as the future as it was booming. And maintains there’s an audience for every kind of product. “Once theatres open up, we will have an audience for OTT as well as theatres and for television too. I’m sure that all three will boom. Yes, right now because of the lack of people going to theatres, everything is on OTT. But I think they both will co-exist. It will be a good marriage,” she states. Ask her whether the acting process is different when it comes to OTT and she says that’s not the case at all. She didn’t feel the difference as she’s always worked in a ‘different’ brand of cinema. “It’s different for the makers as you’re making six hours worth of content instead of your usual two hours. As an actor, you get a lot more freedom, you can express what you want to in a more distinctive way,” she explains.