May 27, 2025 12:24 PM IST

Actor Divya Dutta in a recent interview recalled her experience working with Irrfan Khan on the 2010 film Hisss. She remembered that Irrfan surprisingly appeared more nervous than her during the filming of an intimate scene, and credited the director Jennifer Lynch for helping them sail through the nerves. Working with Yash Chopra was a dream come true: Divya Dutta on 20th anniversary of 'Veer-Zaara'

During a roundtable conversation on Filmfare, Divya looked back at her career choices and important advice that she got from Aditya Chopra.

In the interview, Divya said that she feels she was re-launched by Yash Chopra in a “very unconventional way” with Veer-Zaara, calling it her ticket to commercial cinema.

Divya revealed that Aditya Chopra gave her a piece of crucial career advice, which she still holds close to her heart. She said, “Adi asked me ‘Do you need money?’ I said why are you saying that? He said why I was doing so many films? I said because I'm busy, people want me... He said you're a good actor, leave a legacy behind. With the films, you should be known by the choices you make. It hit me like how... I realised that you have to be selective”. She added that she ended up declining several projects after that and gave back “so many signing amounts”. She credits Aditya for changing her career trajectory.

Talking about shooting intimate scenes, Divya recalled the moment when she had to kiss Irrfan in Hisss (2010). She was glad that a female director was there to smooth the process.

She said, “Jennifer Lynch (director) literally nurtured the two of us. And it was a beautiful scene. I said where is Irrfan. She said he's on the terrace, more nervous that you are. I went up and told him let's do it, it'll be all good. Jennifer kept telling us you're a couple, you need a child, he's coming to you... She put us in that mood where our apprehensions, inhibitions, nervousness all went aside. I realised there's an entire unit working to make that scene come out well”.

Divya Dutta has been a part of various acclaimed films and received many awards, including the National Award, for her performances. She played Shabbo, the confidant and house help of Zaara in 2004 movie Veer Zara, which was fronted by Preity Zinta and Shah Rukh Khan. The film is a cross-border love story of Veer Pratap Singh , an Indian Air Force officer, and Zaara Hayaat Khan , the daughter of a Pakistani politician.

In recent times, she has featured in projects such as Chhaava, Sharmajee Ki Beti, and the second season of Bandish Bandits.