Actor Divya Dutta is thrilled to be directed for the first time in her three-decade career by filmmaker Sudhir Mishra in a film inspired by stories told by his late mother, Durga Devendra Nath Mishra, about Mahatma Gandhi. Being shot in Lucknow with the working title Gandhi and My Mother, the film features Dutta in the role of Dr. Sushila Nayyar—a prominent Indian physician, freedom fighter, and Gandhian leader who famously served as Mahatma Gandhi’s personal physician. Reflecting on working with Mishra, Dutta calls it a "major bucket-list moment." She says, "It might sound strange but its true. This is actually the first time I will be working with Sudhir Sahab as a director. I've absolutely loved his work and we've met so many times baatein bhi hui but kaam sath mein nahin ho paya. Though I was a part of a show that he was the creative on but that was it. So this is the first time I'm actually being directed by him, which of course is a huge bucket-list goal."
The project also reunites her with Manoj Bajpayee following their collaboration on The Last Man in Tower. "Manoj is someone who is absolutely living his character," she shares. "I’m looking forward to sharing screen space with him again and weaving some more magic together."
On taking on such historical and hard-hitting roles, Dutta says, "I get fortunate with good writing and directors who make my work easier. My job is to feel the role and let it lead you to what it needs to express. Doing Gandhi... is an intriguing journey to get out of yourself and let the role take over, because then you have no control over what it will do, which takes away all your inhibitions and overthinking. When you let the role take over, that joy is amazing."
Discussing her continuous transition across genres, she notes, "The more complex the roles are, the more challenge there is, and the more food for thought. There is more nervousness, and that makes you a hungry actor. I look for roles that push me out of my comfort zone and take me to realms I haven't been aware of. For me, the biggest validation happens from my audience."
{{/usCountry}}Discussing her continuous transition across genres, she notes, "The more complex the roles are, the more challenge there is, and the more food for thought. There is more nervousness, and that makes you a hungry actor. I look for roles that push me out of my comfort zone and take me to realms I haven't been aware of. For me, the biggest validation happens from my audience."
{{/usCountry}}When deciding on a project, her process remains instinctive: "The factors that influence my choice start with the makers, because they determine how the story is told and how you are presented. Second is the story and your role, and the icing on the cake is working alongside a great co-actor. I’m an instinctive actor—if I feel 'yay, let’s do this,' and it feels right, I go ahead. Similarly, it happened with this project. As far as the length of the role is concerned, it's never a decider."
She credits a major shift in her career trajectory to the success of Chiraiya, a project she spearheaded. "I think every actor gets that one film or that one show that they shoulder, and I think that is career-defining. That happened to me now that I shouldered a show, and it got so much love. When you lead a show on your own shoulders, perceptions change. The connect that it had, the nominations and awards it got, and the resonance it had with the audience and the industry has definitely changed perceptions for the better for me."
Looking ahead, Dutta’s upcoming lineup includes Neeraj Pandey’s next project with Manoj Bajpayee, the romantic drama Tum Rahe Na Tum alongside Jimmy Shergill, and a biopic on army wife Shukla Bandopadhyay featuring Neeraj Kabi.