Divya Dutta is currently basking in the success of her latest film, ‘Sheer Qorma’ which has been garnering praise from all quarters.
Amidst the pandemic that put several projects on hold and jeopardised the outcomes of yet others, the actress feels that her film has got a befitting response.
In an exclusive interview with ETimes, Divya opened up about the film, working with Swara Bhasker and Shabana Azmi, queer representation in cinema, and more.
Excerpts…
‘Sheer Qorma’ has been garnering praise from all quarters.
How does it feel?It feels great.
‘Sheer Qorma’ has been very special and for the film to be premiering at Frameline is very prestigious.
We are all elated! We were waiting for this to happen and I am so glad that it did.
I am sure it couldn’t have been any better.
The pandemic had put so many things on hold and finally, such happy news came our way.
This is a befitting premiere for a film like this.
Did you anticipate that the film will receive so much appreciation?Yes, I did anticipate the film getting appreciation right from the beginning.
Sometimes you have a clear idea about what the film is, what it is going to do, and where it is going to reach.
This one has done much more than I thought it would do.
It recently won an award at the Florida Film Festival as well.
How was it working with Faraz Ansari?Faraz has been a dear friend of mine.
He was an associate director to Amole Gupte in ‘Stanley Ka Dabba’.
We really hit it off and connected beautifully there.
He used to tell me, ‘DD you have to be a part of my first film’.
I thought he was saying it just for fun but one fine day, he just called me and told me that he is making a film and I had to be his ‘Saira’ because he had written it with me in mind.
He also said that he won’t make the film if I don’t do it.
I was really overwhelmed.
You feel great when somebody puts so much confidence and faith in you.
Emotionally, we have always been very close.
We don’t talk much often but when we do, we connect beautifully.
As a director, he is sensitive and creative.
He has a great aesthetic sense and has presented the film very beautifully–be it a mother-daughter relationship between Shabana Azmi ji and me, or the relationship between my partner Swara and me.
Right from our looks to background score to photography and the writing, he has done everything straight from the heart.
He felt the subject very strongly.
I felt I was playing him in so many ways.
So it feels really special to be a part of a film made by a friend, who kept his word beautifully.
Were you skeptical about playing a queer character when you were first approached for the film?I wasn’t skeptical about playing a queer character.
I think it is high time we don’t let these skepticisms come in the way of creativity or expression.
It is time for us to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.
We are in a time where such amazing films are being made on the topic – be it ‘Kapoor and Sons’, ‘Made In Heaven’, ‘Aligarh’.
Even the audience is accepting such subjects so beautifully and with sensitivity.
I was glad to play Saira; she is a beautiful soul who wants to belong to the woman she loves.
This is the first time both Swara and you played lesbians on screen.
How comfortable were you both with each other?
I was very comfortable with Swara.
I think we got along very well.
She is absolutely bindaas and a joy to work with.
She is full of life and a marvelous actor! We had some amazing scenes together and had a lot of fun doing them.
I am glad it was her because she made me really comfortable.
I did feel like it was our story.
We really enjoyed the beautiful, subtle scenes that we had in the movie.
After this, we did another project together.
With Shabana ma’am and Swara on the sets, was it fun shooting?I feel I was really blessed that Shabana ji did this role in ‘Sheer Qorma’.
I love her in real life, as an actor, and as a person.
She has played my mother’s role in ‘Umrao Jaan’ earlier and she plays my mother in this film too.
However, her role here is very sensitive.
Half of my job would be done as Shabana ji would enact her character so well that I just had to react.
There was nothing much for me to do except for feeling the situation, the moment.
She is a lovely person to work with.
She was sensitive enough to know that I don’t do many rehearsals.
I believe that my firsts are better.
She somehow knew this.
I used to rehearse with her because there is so much you could learn from her.
But one fine day she just came on the sets and asked me not to rehearse.
She told me, ‘You keep your best for your first shot’.
I was so touched.
She has always looked out for me.
Shabana, Swara, and I were like a house on fire, doing masti off the sets.
All we would do was crack jokes, eat food and chat away.
After all this, we would get into the scene, which was filled with emotions.
It was lovely.
Read AlsoSwara Bhasker: I think we have a very stereotypical representation of the LGBTQ+ community in cinema
What’s your take on queer representation in contemporary cinema?I think we are coming of age as far as contemporary LGBTQ+ cinema is concerned.
Earlier, it used to be made in a frivolous manner.
Today, we have a variety of films around them – be it ‘Kapoor & Sons’, ‘Margarita With A Straw’, ‘Aligarh’, ‘Sheer Qorma’.
All these and many more have been beautifully portrayed queer relationships and were also well accepted by the audience.
I think it is working well because we are not demarcating it as something different.
It has become a part of mainstream cinema.
It is being watched on OTT but in theatres too.
We are now seeing a massive shift from focusing on male-dominated content, especially on OTT…I think OTT is all about democracy, be it with the star system–old and new actors are all there on the platform and it is for the audience to decide what they want to watch.
Like I mentioned earlier, there has always been a differentiation between a normal film and a female-oriented film.
I don’t think that is the case anymore.
OTT is not restricted to anything in particular anymore.
There are just good stories being told.
It has removed all the bifurcations and boundaries we have had.
It is really a great space to be in.
I am glad it happened.
