Actor Divya Dutta calls coming to Kolkata after five years “a beautiful homecoming” and goes on to recall fond memories of the city as we start talking before her session at Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival on January 13. “It’s the longest break I have ever had coming to Kolkata. I have been coming here as a child and then did three films starting with Shyam babu’s (Shyam Benegal) film Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero and I think he got into me the flavors of Kolkata. And nobody could teach me better than him. I was so enamored. Plus, the literary culture that you have here is amazing. And then I did The Last Lear with Ritu da (RituparnoGhosh), and Amitabh Bachchan, a lethal combo.”
Recalling shooting in the city, she adds: “I think it’s another thing shooting in the studios and bylanes of Kolkata. I did a film Ram Singh Charlie which was shot at various locations. And it reminded me of Do Bigha Zamin where Balraj Sahni pulled the rickshaw and we did that in our film as well. So, I love these small moments and experiences.”
This time the actor was in the city for her sophomore read, The Stars In My Sky, and she made sure not to miss Calcutta and designed her January schedule accordingly. She is totally enjoying this new audience of the literary scape. Looking fresh in a yellow sari with polka dots, she said: “With my books, I am meeting a very different audience who are book lovers. This is a very different experience from what you are as an actor. So I’m enjoying it. It feels nice when a very renowned writer comes and says she writes very well. I feel there are two professions which are really beautiful — one is acting and the other is writing, and if I can do both then I consider myself very fortunate.”
Like her debut book Me and Ma, her latest one is also biographical. She reflects: “Me and Ma was my life through my mother and this is my life through the people whom I met in my journey in the movies. So each chapter is dedicated to different people who brought joy in my movie journey.” She points out that the process for each book was different. “During the first book I was in a depressive mood since I had lost my maa and I wanted to celebrate her so I wanted to write it then only. So, I wrote that book in a month and a half. I was so amazed that I remembered things from when I was three to every moment with my mother and memories just came trickling down. It’s such an internalised journey when you are writing, your subconscious surprises you.
This book was much challenging,” said the effervescent actor who wrote the book during the lockdown and likes working under a strict deadline.The book has chapters on people Divya grew up watching and or has a strong bond with. The list includes actors Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Juhi Chawla, and Sonali Bendre; film-makers Raju Hirani, Neeraj Pandey, Sriram Raghavan, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and many others. And the most challenging one for her to write was Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan. “I have literally grown up on Rishi Kapoor’s films and he is one of my most favourite heroes. I have danced to his songs and enjoyed the joie de vivre he had. And then, of course, I’ve worked with him and he has been an encouraging and supportive person to me. He would say, ‘Tere saath kaam karna hai, tu pataka hai.’ And then his sudden going became a difficult chapter for me to write. And it was the same with Irrfan.”
In 2022 she was seen in four films in four different kind of roles and she has a long list of projects in 2023. It includes Sharmaji Ki Beti directed by Tahira Kashyap; File No 323 with Anurag Kashyap and Sunil Shetty where she plays a cop and Debakar Banerjee’s drama Tees. Apart from films, she will also be seen in two web series and an international film.