Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai: Divya Dutta

Gul Makai - the Malala Yousufzai biopic, Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai, a children's film Jhalki - A Different Childhood, Ram Singh Charlie and a psychological thriller (with Juhi Chawla and Arshad Warsi). You're doing lots of very varied work.

It is great. I'm currently in space where I can be choosy. Listen to several scripts and say no. While there may be those who use this as strategy, in my case I'm purely following my heart to decide what I want. It is also a testimony to the film industry accepting, acknowledging and loving my work that they've allowed me the freedom to be choosy and take risks.

Ishq Mein Jeena Ishq Mein Marna to Iraada has been a long one-and-a-half-decade journey. Did the National Award make it seem worthwhile? 

You bet! But the journey's been quite interesting in terms of my growth as an actor and a person. It felt like the struggle and hard work was all been worthwhile. At the end of the day, it is a prestigious award and also stamps a mark of approval on one's career.

Even in small roles you've always made a mark. Many wonder why you weren't conferred the National Award much before.

I'll be lying if I say I don't feel the same. But when you give everything to become a character out of your comfort zone this is bound to happen. I expected the National Award for my performance Veer-Zaara, Delhi-6 , Heroine, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag or Traffic. Maybe those who beat me to the award were better at their work or luckier.

You grew up in Ludhiana in a rather turbulent Punjab. Any memories...

Insurgency was growing in Punjab then. Following my father's demise my doctor mom was raising my brother and me by herself. I remember the eerie quiet, the gunshot sounds and those curfews. Mom would often treat the injured. In Punjab, terraces are attached and I'd often be sent across to fetch medicines and some of our neighbours' kids would bring groceries. 

You shot for regional tv very early on?

I went to Ludhiana's Sacred Heart Convent where I was the head girl. Following a performance in school everyone liked I was asked to come repeat it for Jalandhar Doordarshan. I remember being given a princely Rs 500. I felt so proud of my first earning which I promptly gave my mother.

From the time you started off you were never cast as the lead.

When I came to Mumbai I had no Godfather. I built my career from scratch and took what came my way. It would've felt great to be immediately cast as lead but that would've never set me on the course I'm on for the past 25 years. It feels great I'm in the same category as younger girls like Richa Chadda, Swara Bhaskar or Aditi Rao Hydari. But this is also a very interesting time to be acting. The times are changing so fast. All your so-called stars want to do character roles like mine. Distinctive stories and interesting scripts have seen a major role reversal. 

From being described as “wooden” in Iski Topi Ukse Sarr to often being called the only redeeming feature in an otherwise rubbish films which are, you want to tell us what you did to work on your craft?

(Laughs) Is that what was said? But you know I also did Train To Pakistan and Shaheed-E-Mohabbat  – two films very close to my heart – the same year which got me critical acclaim. I'm not complaining. I was too young and raw and the character I was given in Iski Topi...was an ultra-glam pouter all the time. But now I've learnt to pout (Demonstrates and laughs) in style. On a serious note, I realise one can make even a three-scene role stand out. You don't need a lengthy role.

Any roles you feel didn't get as much deserved acclaim?

I mentioned Delhi-6. After Veer Zara everybody was offering me bubbly Punjabi roles. I sat at home for a year since I wasn't too excited. When Rakeysh Mehra called me to play Jalebi I really worked hard on the part. It did resonate with the audiences but I guess the jury had other choices.

Does your body of work and image as seasoned actor lead to you being told to figure out the role yourself?

I generally beg off such work because it is lazy to not be invested in one's own film as a filmmaker. I can work together with a novice if they need inputs but will not totally do both their work and mine.

You've worked with the late Yash Chopra and also with Shyam Benegal. How would you contrast their filmmaking styles as an actor?

What can I say about YashJi? He'd go out of his way to pamper you and make you feel glamorous and that shows on screen. As for Shyam Babu (Benegal), there is so much to learn. He really makes it a point for you to find your groove with the character. When I shot for Welcome to Sajjanpur I joined the unit barely a day before. He told me to cook for the unit. As I made paranthas, I kept wondering why. But it just broke the ice with everyone and we became comfortable as the script needed. He also likes to leave some things less rehearsed. In his Punjab history series, I was the narrator. Just when we were going to do our take he came and told me to learn the Punjabi lines and not read off the teleprompter.

You've given yourself a wide berth when it comes to TV and stuck to the big screen. What about web series?

I don't want to do TV because I'd be bored stuck in the same character for years. I'm looking at two web projects but its too early to talk about them. Many see it as a showcase for talent untapped in the mainstream. But it is still very early days and this mushrooming of web series will eventually settle down to a more stable pattern. In the meantime, let's wait and watch.

Has there ever been a role you've watched and felt you would've done it better?

So many of them. It is inevitable that an actor will look at a film from the prism of her/his craft. Of the cuff, I felt that about Tanu Weds Manu and Queen.

Which of your characters was the most challenging to reprise?

It has to be Jalebi in Delhi-6. I used to have a 4 am call. It took two hours to make me several shades darker and get all the elaborate neck tattoos in place. And then I had this huge expletive-laden monologue in a completely different dialect. And watching me were seniors like Waheeda Rahman, Rishi Kapoor and Om Puri along with the entire cast. I knew I had to get it right in the first take or lose face. And I'm glad it worked.

After Me and Ma you're penning another book...

Two of them in fact. One is an anthology of short stories and the other I am still not allowed to talk about.

Is writing scripts/ direction the next step? 

I really don't know. Many of my friends in the fraternity have also been asking me to consider. I don't know. But yes it is there among the unticked boxes career-wise. Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai.