Dutta was born on 25 September 1977 in Ludhiana, Punjab, in a Punjabi Hindu family. Her mother Dr. Nalini Dutta, a government officer and doctor, single-handedly raised Dutta and her brother. Divya was just seven when her father died and it was last year when we got the news of her mother’s demise too. It is said that Divya took inspiration from her mother for her role of a single mother Pappi in the 2013 drama film Gippi.
As a young girl, Divya has witnessed the Punjab insurgency too. Thus, Divya has bitter memories of the 1984 riots. Before she was a known face in the industry, Divya had also tried her hands at modeling featuring in a number of television commercials in Punjab. Divya Dutta ventured into television playing the role of Purnima Banerjee in the serial Samvidhaan. She was also seen in TV show Shanno Ki Shaadi, in which she played Shane, who belonged to a simple Punjabi Halwai family. Kadam was another TV show of the actor.
Divya hosted the popular TV docu-drama series Savdhaan India and also other shows like Arey Deewano Mujhe Pehchano, Awaz Punjab Di, Cine Satrangi, and Hum Tum Ek Camare Me Band Hon. As an actor in Bollywood, she made her debut in the 1994 released film Ishq Mein Jeena Ishq Mein Marna. She was only 17 at that time and the film was not successful. Divya’s first major break was Veergati, in which she played the role of Salman Khan’s sister Sandhya.
Divya had dubbed for Lisa Ray in 2001 movie Kasoor as Lisa was not comfortable with Hindi then. But a number of films which can be called as the roles that gave this actor recognition are the small yet powerful roles in films like Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, Gharwali Baharwali, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Aaja Nachle, Ragini MMS 2, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Lootera, and Veer Zaara.
Not only in Hindi film industry, Divya has also starred in Punjabi movies, Nepali movie titled Basanti and a Malayalam movie Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Her debut international film was The Last Lear in which she played the role of Ivy, a nurse. It was the same film that also starred Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Rampal and Preity Zinta.
We wish the actor a very happy birthday.