Divya Dutta opens up on Bollywood's 'herd mentality'
What's the story
In a recent interview with SCREEN, actor Divya Dutta spoke about the changing landscape of entertainment and how OTT platforms have opened new avenues for character-driven stories. She also talked about her recent success with Chiraiya (2026) and the kind of roles she is now being offered. However, she also admitted that success often leads to typecasting in Bollywood.
Typecasting
Herd mentality in Bollywood
Dutta said, "Yes, there is a herd mentality when you have a successful project, and similar roles come trickling in...and you have to say a lot of No-s to get the 'Yes-es you want." "So, that's always the case. That's how it is."
"Earlier, too, I was choosy...I wanted to not repeat myself by doing what I was already doing. The discussions happened earlier and are happening now. The only difference is that now I get to hear more scripts."
Industry evolution
Changes in script landscape
Dutta acknowledged that the advent of OTT platforms has changed the nature of scripts and roles in Bollywood.
"With OTTs coming in, the layers are really changing. There are more story-led, character-oriented things coming in; people are ready to experiment," she said.
However, she also stressed that there is still a long way to go in terms of diversity and depth in storytelling.
New project
Dutta's recent films with Manoj Bajpayee
Dutta's recent film, The Last Man in Tower, arrived on ZEE5 on Friday.
It co-stars Manoj Bajpayee.
The film, directed by Ben Rekhi and produced by Rana Daggubati's Spirit Media, was released theatrically on September 11.
It is based on Booker Prize-winning author Aravind Adiga's novel of the same name and explores themes of ambition, greed, and morality.
Dutta and Bajpayee also shared screen space in the Netflix thriller Gajab Raat.