People call me a well-respected actor: Divya Dutta

About winning the National Award, Divya told Hindustan Times, "This was unexpected, and therefore, sweeter. People who have been calling are happier than me, which makes me feel so good."

About her career, she said, "There was a time when people called me that. However, gradually things have changed. Workwise, the last year has been fabulous. I have got bigger films and better roles, even the so-called lead roles in films. More than that people also call me a well-respected actor, as there has always been a lot of respect for me and my work. I don't know where it comes from but it matters. It is nice that people think highly of me. I have always followed my heart and made choices that worked for me. I was never the stereotypical heroine but I have gone past that and now I am romancing heroes. I am doing the kind of roles I should have probably done at the beginning of my career. It feels good (laughs)."

When asked if 2018 will be her year, the actor said, "Maybe (laughs). This year will bring a lot of firsts for me. The year started off well. Blackmail was well-received and then the National Award announcement came through and now I am looking forward to my first visit to the Cannes film festival. At Cannes, I will have a lot of fun with Nandita (Das, film-maker) and Nawazuddin (Siddique, actor). As for my films, by September, I should have eight releases."