Divya Dutta opens up about fighting against eve-teasing, credits mother: 'I just held him and whacked his wits'

Divya Dutta also recounted her mother's response to her own harassment and how these experiences shaped her resilience in the film industry.

Actor Divya Dutta recently shared a deeply personal story about protecting her sister from an eve-teasing incident, revealing how the courage to confront such situations was rooted in the lessons and support she received from her mother.

Divya Dutta is currently seen in JioHotstar's Chiraiya. (Manoj Verma/ HT)

Divya Dutta recounts when a man was about to pinch her sister

Speaking to Zoom, Divya recounted the moment publicly for the first time. “He was about to pinch my sister's butt and I just held him. Now where did that confidence come from? Because I was psyched. It came from my mother. I just held him and whacked his wits. Everyone turned around and then everyone comes to help. That boy just ran away. This is passing it on the confidence to stand up for someone you love,” she said.

She also reflected on another formative experience from her childhood, when a boy repeatedly harassed her on her way home from school. “When I told my mother, she acted immediately. The next day, she waited in the same lane with a group of people and confronted him directly. That incident taught me a lot about standing up and not letting fear take over,” Divya added.

The National Film Award-winning actor reflected on how her formative experiences dealing with harassment and standing up for herself translated into confidence in her professional life. Divya stated that navigating the film industry requires patience and a clear sense of personal boundaries. According to the Veer Zara actor, she deliberately chose a measured approach, taking the “longer route” and waiting for opportunities that aligned with her values rather than rushing into roles.

In a close-knit industry where reputations travel fast, she noted that consistently saying no to projects that didn’t feel right ultimately gave her roles with more weight. She highlighted that learning to assert oneself gracefully—without creating unnecessary conflict—was a skill that developed over time, with discipline and experience, allowing her to maintain both integrity and agency throughout her career.

Divya Dutta's latest work

Divya currently stars in the latest web series Chiraiya, alongside Prasanna Bisht. The show, created by Divy Nidhi Sharma, is adapted from the Bengali web series Sampurna and streams on JioHotstar. The series also features Sanjay Mishra, Siddharth Shaw, Faisal Rashid, Tinnu Anand, and Sarita Joshi in key roles.