Divya Dutta (born 25 September 1977) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi and Punjabi films. One of the most admired supporting actresses of her generation, she is known for Veer-Zaara, Delhi-6, Stanley Ka Dabba and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, and she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for Irada (2017). She has acted in more than a hundred films and is also an author.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Divya Dutta |
| Born | 25 September 1977, Ludhiana, Punjab, India |
| Age | 49 |
| Occupation | Actress, author |
| Mother | Dr Nalini Dutta |
| Education | Sacred Heart Convent, Ludhiana |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Honour | National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress (2018) |
| Known for | Veer-Zaara, Delhi-6, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Irada |
Early Life
Dutta was born in Ludhiana. Her father died when she was seven, and she and her brother were raised by their mother, Nalini, a government doctor who often took the children along to the rural health centres where she worked. Divya won a talent contest that brought her to Mumbai while still in her teens.
Career
Her first film was Ishq Mein Jeena Ishq Mein Marna (1994). The Punjabi Partition drama Shaheed-e-Mohabbat Boota Singh (1999), in which she played the lead, won wide praise. She appeared in Shyam Benegal’s Samar and Zubeidaa.
As Shabbo, the maid and confidante in Yash Chopra‘s Veer-Zaara (2004), she earned her first major award nominations. She played the outcast sweeper Jalebi in Delhi-6 (2009), a kind teacher in Stanley Ka Dabba (2011) and Isri Kaur, the loving elder sister of Milkha Singh, in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), for which she won several best supporting actress awards. Other films include Welcome to Sajjanpur, Heroine, Badlapur, Blackmail and Sharmajee Ki Beti. Her role as a corrupt chief minister in Irada brought the National Award.
She has acted in Punjabi hits, in international productions such as The Last Lear, and in web series including Special OPS. She is in demand as a host of film events.
Books
Personal Life
Dutta is unmarried and lives in Mumbai.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Divya Dutta born?
Divya Dutta was born on 25 September 1977 in Ludhiana, Punjab, India and is 49 years old.
What is Divya Dutta known for?
Known for: Veer-Zaara, Delhi-6, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Irada.
Featured image: Divya Dutta hosts the opening ceremony of the International Film Festival of India, Panaji, 23 November 2009. Photo by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, licensed under Government Open Data License – India, via Wikimedia Commons.
