The International Film Festival of India got off to a flying start yesterday with the Chinese period movie Wheat, a powerful story of the women left behind when their husbands go off to war. The movie stars the exceptionally beautiful Fan Bing Bing, looking like a cross between Asin and Audrey Hepburn. Divya Dutta and Kabir Bedi welcomed the Festival’s chief guest Waheeda Rehman to the opening ceremony. Waheeda was accompanied amongst others by Asin and Nana Patekar. Mammootty will also be joining the Festival later as a chief guest.
Divya’s latest project is the fascinating Hindi-Rajasthani bilingual movie Haat which was premiered recently at the Mumbai Film Festival. The film is based upon the old Rajasthani custom of Natha Pratha which states that if a woman wants to leave her husband, the woman’s family must pay the husband compensation. Always interesting in her choice of roles, Divya is also involved in Dev Anand’s latest Chargesheet along with Riya Sen and Paroksh, a social drama with Rituparna Sengupta
Divya was recently awarded the Madhavrao Scindia Leadership Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. The award honours the memory of the Congress politician who was once the Maharajah of Gwalior until royal titles were abolished in India in 1969.
