One shouldn’t try to please everyone, says Divya Dutta

Actress Divya Dutta values freedom of expression and speaking her mind respectfully. However, she adds that one shouldn’t try to please everyone and should own their opinions. Talking about strong women being judged on the basis of what they do, say and also having an opinion, Divya told IANS: “You cannot please the whole world. I like freedom of expression. I am someone who cannot keep something here.” The actress, who is currently seen as a strong and politically charged leader Iravati Bose in “Mayasabha: The Rise of the Titans”, shared that the way one puts across what they have to say has to be good.

“I just feel you must say what you have to say. Yes, the tariqa has to be a good one. You shouldn’t be hurting anyone, but you should say what you have to say. So I like to do that. And if that is considered strong or opinionated, so be it then. I mean, you are not here to please the world,” said Divya.

The actress’ latest “Mayasabha: The Rise of the Titans” is a political drama web series directed by Deva Katta and Kiran Jay Kumar.

It stars Aadhi Pinisetty and Chaitanya Rao in the lead roles, with Divya, Sai Kumar, Srikanth Iyengar and Nassar. Set in the volatile political landscape of 1990s Andhra Pradesh, the series dramatises the evolving relationship between two prominent political figures—Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Y. S. Rajasekhar Reddy—portraying their journey from close friendship to political rivalry. The show started streaming on Sony LIV from August 7. The 47-year-old actress made her debut in Hindi cinema in 1994 with the film “Ishq Mein Jeena Ishq Mein Marna,” which she followed with a lead role in the 1995 drama “Veergati.”

She gained the spotlight for playing the lead role of Zainab, a Muslim wife separated from her Sikh husband, in the 1999 Punjabi film Shaheed-e-Mohabbat Boota Singh, set against the backdrop of the 1947 Partition of India. Divya was later seen in films such as “Veer-Zaara,” “Welcome to Sajjanpur,” “Delhi-6,” “Stanley Ka Dabba,” “Heroine,” “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” and “Irada.” In television, she was seen in the serial “Samvidhaan.” Divya seems to be on a roll with back-to-back successful releases.

In the recent past, the National Award-winner has been a part of a large variety of projects across platforms. Dutta has also tried her hands at numerous genres - from espionage thriller “Special Ops”, to musical drama “Bandish Bandits,” to the historical saga “Chhaava” and now the political thriller “Mayasabha.”

In “Chhaava,” she is seen as a layered antagonist, Soyarabai, while in “Special Ops” Dutta gives a convincing performance as operative Sadia Qureshi. She also plays a soulful musician Nandini Singh in “Bandish Bandits” and a steely political strategist Iravati Basu in “Mayasabha”. Her ability to move seamlessly across genres and shades helps her explore her versatility as an artist.

Thrilled about her success streak, Dutta said: “I’ve been fortunate to be part of stories that challenge me and allow me to explore different facets of human emotions. I want each role I play to stay with the audience long after the screen fades to black.”

Now, shifting our focus to Dutta’s personal life, she revealed that she had been someone who was very marriage-oriented, and her path to a single life unfolded organically. Dutta believes that it’s better to live a peaceful, self-focused life than to be in a toxic relationship.

Speaking to IANS, she was asked “if there was a moment when she consciously chose the path to singlehood, or did it unfold naturally with her evolving priorities in life.”

To this, Dutta replied, saying: “Absolutely.. It just happened organically over time.” “I was someone who was very marriage-oriented. I was totally into all the films that I had grown up on—the Yashji films, Karan Johar films—where, you know, you do all those rituals and you feel nice, happy, married.”

Indo-Asian News Service