Mumbai: In an exclusive interview, Divya Dutta opens up about her experiences playing strong women in Indian cinema. She discusses her role in Bandish Bandits, balancing music and drama, and the importance of female representation in film. Divya Dutta also shares her thoughts on the industry, competition, and her own journey as an actress.
#DivyaDutta #Chhaava #BandishBandit2 #Music #Competition #Trending #BollywoodNews #BollywoodGossips #BollywoodUpdates #BollywoodNews #Bollywood #Bollywoodcelebrity #BollywoodHindiNews #ians
#DivyaDutta #Chhaava #BandishBandit2 #Music #Competition #Trending #BollywoodNews #BollywoodGossips #BollywoodUpdates #BollywoodNews #Bollywood #Bollywoodcelebrity #BollywoodHindiNews #ians
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00How did you get the role of Rajmata Sohra Bai?
00:05Well, I think it was a very well-researched story.
00:09And when they came to me with the role of Rajmata Sohra Bai, it was very well-researched.
00:17I still have all the sketches and stories read together.
00:21So when you have all those details, all you have to do is be very, very sincere to what you're doing.
00:27And just feel the character the way the makers want you to feel.
00:33And I guess they did a beautiful job with the sets, with the costumes, with everything and the nuances and the dialogues.
00:40And of course, our director was really lovely.
00:43So you get that feeling that you are a part of that century.
00:50I think it was a beautiful experience. I've never done a historical like this before.
00:55And it was beautiful to do something like this.
01:02That depends clearly on the story you're choosing to say.
01:05If you're talking about generally in the industry and not talking about stories, then yes, it's a man's world still.
01:13We are on our way to make it equivalent, but there's a long way to go for that, I think.
01:19But yeah, when you talk about stories and historical characters, it depends.
01:24If you take the role of Rani Lakshmi Bai, then of course she's the protagonist.
01:29If you take the role of Indira Gandhi, then she's the protagonist.
01:32So it depends on whose story you're telling.
01:36If you're telling the story of Maharaj Sambhaji, then it's his story.
01:41So yeah, it varies.
01:43You have to take a little cinematic liberty when you're telling a story.
01:53But yes, the facts should remain as they are.
01:58If you're presenting them in a decorative way, then what's wrong with that?
02:07Well, I have worked with Laxman Rothikar before in Nazar Andaz.
02:11And this is my second film with him.
02:13And I clearly remember when he came, he so clearly knew what exactly he wanted me to play
02:20and how he wanted me to play it.
02:22And I love the way the whole set took care of me.
02:26Like we did the scene where I light a lamp with my hand.
02:30So when I had to light the lamp, everyone made sure to put wax on my hand so that my hand wouldn't get burnt.
02:38But even if I didn't get burnt, the intensity of the scene was so intense that I had actually flown in it.
02:45And the director said, no, no, no, please put wax.
02:48But I'm saying that is the beauty of a character, of the people around you.
02:53They put you in such a role that you don't realize when you've flown in it.
02:59So I think for me, it's a matter of pride to have played Rajmata Sohrabai.
03:05And I'm getting so much love.
03:07Wherever I go, everyone talks about Chawahar.
03:10It feels great to belong to a film which has really become a blockbuster, which has broken records
03:15and which is a story that needed to be told and we all should be very proud of it.
03:25People will say something.
03:27To each their own.
03:28I wouldn't really comment on something that anyone would think about someone.
03:33My job is to do my job and do it well.
03:36And I think she's a lovely girl is what I feel.
03:38And she has a very charming presence in the film.
03:46My entire focus was on the director because he had given such a beautiful arc to that role.
03:52Incidentally, it was supposed to be a male role.
03:59It was written in such a way that it's supposed to be done by a male actor.
04:04And then I think they were contemplating making it a female role.
04:07And by chance, I think it was just by chance that it happened that we spoke and he said,
04:13would you do season two?
04:14And I jumped.
04:15I said, of course I will, because I loved season one.
04:19And the way he gave the arc that the two stories run parallel between the teacher and the student.
04:26I think it would have come only if it was a female character.
04:29And that beauty Anand Tiwari brought it in that role.
04:33And I think people haven't seen me look like that or act like that.
04:37So it was a very different experience for me to unlearn and learn again.
04:41Learning western classical music.
04:43It wasn't a bridge, but yes, actually you're right.
04:48It was a bridge because it introduces both the family and their music.
04:54So yeah, I think I just loved it.
04:58If I'm given a choice, I'd love to relive and do this series all over again.
05:05So beautiful.
05:11All the time now we do that, but it has to be healthy competition.
05:15Any role, any film that you do, there will always be two, three choices.
05:19Very few, of course, they'll say, of course, this role has been written keeping you in mind.
05:26So there are those films too, but there are so many films where there are always three names.
05:33One will be mine, one will be of another actor, one will be of another actor.
05:37Then there is a choice among them as to who to take out of the three, who will be with them.
05:41So of course there is competition.
05:44Of course, you give it your best and you should.
05:47That keeps the adrenaline rushing.
05:49I don't mind calling up a director and saying, I'd love to work with you.
05:53I mean, it's a great thing.
05:55This is something you love doing.
05:57And you should do it unapologetically.
06:00That hunger is very important.
06:03And I consider it healthy competition.
06:07These actresses are my friends and we compete with them.
06:11And whoever gets it, gets it.
06:13And then the next film.
06:17What genre of music?
06:20Folk music.
06:21I love folk music.
06:23And I think there's a traditional value to it.
06:27There's a grounded, rooted thing to folk music, which talks about the midi of the land.
06:35And I think the songs reflect that.
06:38So I love folk music.
06:46And Bandish Banerjee?
06:50I've never seen it this way.
06:52But I think you bring an important part of every character with you.
06:56You don't think, I've learned something new.
06:59I'll use it on my family.
07:01That doesn't happen.
07:02But yes, you bring something from that character.
07:05And somewhere, subconsciously, I think subconscious is a very important part of our lives.
07:10You use it.
07:12Where do you use it?
07:14I don't know.
07:15Anyway, I think in day-to-day life, I'll pick up something and it'll go into my characters.
07:20It's vice versa.
07:21Like we say, how films and society affect each other.
07:25It's such a relationship that you'll see some things of society in films.
07:29You'll see some things of films in society.
07:32I think it's the same with characters.
07:34Some of your part goes into the characters.
07:36Some of the characters' part comes with you.
07:38Why did you choose to learn classical music?
07:43I sang an opera for Bandish Bandits.
07:46It's very difficult to learn western classical music unlearned.
07:51I mean, whatever I needed to learn at that time.
07:55It's a very lavish, big sphere to learn classical music.
08:00But of course, there was a time when I wanted to learn guitar.
08:05There was a music teacher at home and he ended up teaching my nephew.
08:09I took 2-3 classes and then you get busy.
08:14But I enjoyed learning all the classes.
08:17We used to learn piano on the set.
08:19One of our actors actually learnt how to play piano on the set.
08:24So, that was amazing.