Divya Dutta and Swara Bhasker are some of the only actors in Bollywood who have dared to break and mould and serve something different with every role they play. Divya Dutta can boast of a very strong filmography in her career spanning almost two decades. Swara, on the other hand, has proved that she is fearless with films like Veere Di Wedding and Anarkali of Aarah. The two actors are now coming together in Faraz Arif Ansari’s Sheer Kurma, where they will play lovers. The film will also star veteran actor Surekha Sikri. It is about a queer woman who searches for acceptance and struggles to find acceptance within her family.
At a recent interview, Ansari opened up about taking Divya and Swara on board for his project. “Divya and Swara are two celebrated names in the industry and strong allies of the LGBTQIA+ community. It was an easy decision to approach them. In fact, when I started writing the film, I had Divya in my mind, and already saw her playing this role. The day I finished the script, I put up a status on Instagram saying I need someone to play the role, and Divya was actually the first person to call me. It was kind of bizarre that both of them were thinking on the same lines. Without even reading the script, she said she wanted to do the film,” said the director. Faraz Ali Ansari has previously made a short film called Sisak, India's first silent LGBTQ love story.
Divya Dutta also talked about stepping into the shoes of a queer character. She credited her good rapport with the director as the reason she said yes to the project. “I have worked with him previously and I know what he has to offer. For me, this is not just a film. It’s a story about relationships – including this woman’s with her family and her partner, which is something that needs to be talked about amid all the taboo that exists in our society. I took up this role because I wanted to challenge myself as an actor and discover another side of me. I am in good hands, as I have Swara and Surekha Ji as my co-actors, who are equally fabulous. I always wanted to share a screen with them. It is going to be lovely to bring in all the emotions of women who are in this and find a way to strike a balance in society.”
Divya Dutta was last seen in Netflix's Music Teacher along with Manav Kaul and Neena Gupta. This is Swara Bhasker's first film since Veere Di Wedding with Sonam Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan.
Sheer Kurma will be wrapped up by the end of the year. Stay tuned to in.com for more updates.
Read More