After a sweeping performance in Delhi-6, Divya Dutta does not want to be straitjacketed in any image and wants to look
different and refreshing in every film.
"I have laid a very basic ground rule for myself. I should be a favourite with the audience, they should love me, my role,
my acting, appreciate my talent. I don't want to repeat any of my roles, ever, " Divya told over phone from Mumbai.
After her rough looks in "Delhi-6", Divya will now be seen in traditional attire. Splashes of colours cover her from head to
toe as she sports a Kashmiri look for her latest film, "Sukhmani - Hope for Life", which released last Friday.
"I play a Kashmiri girl who is quiet by nature, a very intense women who walks with head high and grace, " she said.
"Sukhmani..." is a film that shows both good and evil sides of people, Divya says. "When faced with exceptional
circumstances, people react differently. It shows that sometimes we have to make choices that are not always
accepted by society."
Divya is lucky because "all kinds of different roles come my way. I don't have to struggle much to get the scripts. You
would see me doing comedy, action... So basically, I haven't kept my door closed by making a certain kind of image."
Apart from Divya, the "Sukhmani..." cast includes Juhi Chawla, Gurdas Maan, Anoop Soni and Bhagwant Maan. The
film is the directorial debut of Gurdas Maan's wife Manjeet Maan.
"We have done three films together. It has always been a delight to work with Maan ji (Gurdas Maan). The quality and
the work style are very different and refreshing, " Divya says.
"It was fun to spend some good moments with my co-actors. I feel a great connection, a certain kind of bonding
between us.
"Maan ji has a very genuine soul. He keeps the atmosphere pepped up with his jokes and pranks. He has a very
positive attitude which brings positive vibes to the sets."
The actress, who has made a mark with her performances in films like "Delhi-6", "Baghban", "Aaja Nachle" and "Veer
Zaara" and has also experimented with TV serial "Shanno ki Shaadi", feels cinema lasts longer in the hearts of the
audience.
"Cinema has a greater impact as it leaves a long lasting memory. Television, on the other hand, is also good but
requires a lot of time, " she adds.
The music for "Sukhmani..." is by Jaidev Kumar and the lyrics are written by Gurdas Maan himself.
Including Gurdas Maan, singers like Shreya Ghoshal, Krishna, Arvinder Singh and Simerjit Kumar have sung the songs
in the film and for the first time Juhi Chawla has sung two songs herself.
After "Sukhmani...", Divya will be seen in Subhash Ghai's "Hello Darling". She will be seen doing a few women-oriented
roles and also doing the role of a serious journalist in Raja Mukherjee's upcoming projects, apart from featuring in Amol
Gupte's upcoming project.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010 10:48 IST