"Television doesn't excite me nowadays"

She is a gal with a lot of spunk...she is among the few in the industry who have been part of what can proudly be called path breaking stuff on television. Known for portraying strong women on telly, Divya Dutta has carved a niche for herself in an industry that is so used to seeing women as either a saas, bahu or an eyebrow twitching vamp. Tellydom seems to be losing Divya to the big screen as the lady seems more inclined towards doing movies. Ananya Sengupta caught up with Divya Dutta on the sets on Star One's Siddhanth, where the actress was busy shooting for an episode of this show. We ask her about her move towards the big screen and the future projects that she is taking on. Divya is sitting in her makeup van which she shares with Raavee Gupta, who plays Navya, Siddhanth's assistant in the show. Dressed in a yellow printed kurta over plain blue jeans, and gives us a ready smile as we enter, ready for a chat. You seem to be doing a lot of stuff that deals with women's rights and social issues... Yes, I guess I am. It is something that I don't consciously do, but the roles coming my way are necessarily like that. I am dying to do a romantic character. Currently I am doing a lot of stuff that covers different types of characters...but they are all in films. So is it goodbye television for you? No, but frankly the work happening on television nowadays doesn't excite me. But if there is something mind boggling offered to me, I am ready to do it. (It is at this point that Raavee shouts out for some food. We realise that the ladies have been working and we had taken up their lunch hour for our interviews. Raavee starts eating and informs Divya that there is chicken for her today! Divya looks positively elated!) So if it is good work, are you ready to do a daily? No, I don't think I can manage a daily. You know the problem with dailies is that it demands a lot of time and commitment...dates are a problem there. I cannot give 20-25 days to a serial. So why did you choose Siddhanth? I always liked the work BAG does. I couldn't do Rihhaee due to date problems, and I agreed to do this as soon as it was offered to me. It requires only four to five days and since it is an issue based programme, it was enough for me. ("She is their resident NGO...you know whenever they need a social worker, they call Divya...", laughs Raavee) So is there an activist in you...somewhere lurking in the background... Well, I think so...I am tough and no one can mess with me. I have been a spokesperson for children in the UNICEF and I try to stay in touch with them whenever I get the time. (She forgets the name of the NGO that she is part of and, in a typical Punjabi accent, curses herself for her forgetfulness...pata nahi aaj mujhe kya ho gaya hai!) Tell us something about the films that you are doing? I am doing Ram Gopal Varma's Mr ya Miss, I recently did Silsilay, then there is Dubai Return with Irrfan Khan, a movie each with Raj Kanwal and Tanuja Chandra. I am doing this very interesting film called Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with a Malayali director about a little boy who discovers that he is a eunuch and the experiences in his life. I play his mother and that was a very traumatic experience... What kind of roles are you looking forward to... I want to do an out and out romantic character...only if I could....! I saw you at the DD show organized to award mothers who are behind the success of their daughters... Yes, that was a very nice show... ("Yes...now I know where I have met you...you seem so familiar," she exclaims, as she concentrates on the food and shouts, looking at the huge amount of food on her plate...) The moment with you on stage with your mom was one of the finer moments of the evening...do you get time to spend with your mother? Thank you for saying that...yes, I try to spend as much time as possible with my mother. She stays awake late waiting for me...and we have chai and pakodas together. She is my friend and guide. And as the gal settles down to have her lunch, we wish her luck for her forthcoming projects and quickly bid her goodbye.