Divya Dutta recalls how Shah Rukh Khan guided her on Veer Zaara sets | Interview

As Shah Rukh Khan celebrates his 61st birthday, Divya Dutta remembers working with him on Veer Zaara, the 2004 film directed by Yash Chopra.

As Shah Rukh Khan celebrates his 61st birthday today, fans across the world are marking the occasion, from lighting up the Burj Khalifa to gathering outside his Mumbai home, Mannat. The actor, who has been Bollywood's defining romantic hero for decades, has given audiences several memorable love stories, with Yash Chopra's Veer Zaara remaining one of his most cherished romantic dramas. In an exclusive interaction with Hindustan Times, Divya Dutta, who played a pivotal role in the film, looks back at working with Shah Rukh, calling it a career-high and recalling how the superstar guided her during a scene.

'Veer Zaara was a huge high for me'

Divya Dutta played a pivotal role in Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Veer Zaara.

Speaking about how Veer Zaara was a dream come true for her, Divya said, "It was my childhood dream to work with Yash Chopra — I used to day dream about it without knowing how it would ever happen. Being on his set in Veer Zaara was a huge high for me. That was the film that brought me my first major commercial recognition where people knew my name."

Talking about the joy of working with her 'absolute favourite', Shah Rukh, in the film, Divya said, "It was also my first film with Shah Rukh, who happens to be my absolute favourite. It was a complete joy working on those sets and learning so much. Plus, I got to share screen space with Zohra Sehgal — she was the epitome of grace, chutzpah, and mischief. Sharing the screen with someone as full of life as her was unforgettable."

Divya recalls Shah Rukh's advice

She added, "When I thanked him, he said, 'Yeah, look out for yourself, because I won't be on every set to guide you.' It felt so wonderful that a superstar like Shah Rukh Khan was looking out for me. Both Shah Rukh and Manoj Bajpayee have that magnanimity in them, and that is what people around them always remember." Divya recently starred in Netflix's Gajab Raat with Manoj Bajpayee.

About Veer Zaara

Veer Zaara was directed by Yash Chopra and written by Aditya Chopra. Released on November 12, 2004, the film starred Shah Rukh Khan as Veer Pratap Singh, an Indian Air Force pilot, and Preity Zinta as Zaara Hayaat Khan, a young Pakistani woman. Their lives become intertwined after Veer rescues Zaara, and the story follows their love, separation and sacrifice over two decades.

Divya Dutta plays Shabbo, Zaara's friend and confidante. The film also featured Rani Mukerji, Manoj Bajpayee, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Kirron Kher, Anupam Kher and Zohra Sehgal.