Divya Dutta is playing the role of Farhan Akhtar’s elder sister, Isri Kaur, in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s impending release, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. The film has Farhan playing the legendary athlete, Milkha Singh.
In real life, Milkha shared a special bond with Isri, who had brought him up after their parents’ early death. Keeping this in mind, the scenes between Divya and Farhan were intense, emotional and moving.
The actress tells us that she did not use glycerine for many scenes. “After a long time, the audience will get to watch a strong and intense relationship between two siblings. While shooting, the affectionate look on Farhan’s face would automatically stimulate an elder sister’s protective instinct in me,” she recalls.
About working with Farhan, Divya says, “Though I’ve always admired Farhan, his performance in this film took me by surprise. On the first day of the shoot, Farhan was standing next to me when Rakeysh said, ‘Aren’t you going to say hi to your on-screen brother?’ The warmth that I witnessed in Farhan since then was overwhelming.”
About the actress, Mehra says, “As a director, I have observed that Divya’s eyes speak a lot. And keeping the story in mind, they convincingly portray the pain of partition and at the same time, also convey hope. So, choosing Divya for Isri’s character came naturally. I did not even have to think about it.”
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures and ROMP Pictures, releases July 12.