Exclusive! Drishyam 2 actor Ishita Dutta: I'm offered roles of a scared and timid girl because of the way I look

Ishita Dutta's last movie outing on the big screen before Drishyam 2 was Blank, which released in 2019. The actor shot to fame with her role as Anju, the onscreen daughter of Ajay Devgn, in Drishyam back in 2015. Now, after seven years, Ishita has reprised her role in the sequel, Drishyam 2, directed by Abhishek Pathak. Even though she hasn't been in any movies, her roles in TV shows like Thoda Sa Baadal Thoda sa Paani and Bepanah Pyaar have been praised.

Ishita told OTTplay in an exclusive interview that she loves TV, even though she has made a name for herself in movies. The actor told us, "I started off with television; actually, I did a South film first and then my first TV show, Ek Ghar Banaunga (2013), where I learned a lot. After that show, I got a lot of offers in film, but somehow, I don't know, TV has always given me a lot of love, from the makers and my fans. I keep returning to television, which I truly enjoyed. Whatever I've learned in terms of acting, I think everything is from television, because when you play the same character for so many years, you kind of get too much into it, like you know exactly what the characters will do."

She further said, "In fact, we have changed directors; we don't have the same director throughout. So, by the time the third of the four directors arrives, we've actually told them, 'No, no, I don't think so; my character would behave like this,' because, you know, your character probably knows himself or herself better than anyone else because you're playing it day in and day out. So I like that about TV, but at the same time, I wouldn't say I don't like doing films. Of course, you get to play very different characters in the same timeframe. I think it's the love of the audience that has always taken me back to television. But if I get something great in films or wherever, I would also love to be a part of that."

Along with movies and TV, OTT is the new format that has boomed in the past couple of years. On being asked if she had been offered any web series, Ishita revealed, "So I have been offered; however, I was not convinced by my character or the show on the Web. I will not take names, so it didn't really work out with me for various reasons. But I definitely want to, because I've seen the kind of content that the Web is producing now, which is really nice and has really beautiful scripts, especially in the last year. I keep putting it in the universe that maybe the right script will come across; in fact, there is something that I'm working on, but if it works out, I'll be very happy because there are great scripts."

It's been more than seven years since Ishita became an actor, and talking about her journey and what she wants to do further, the Firangi actor said, "It's been great. I have done a lot of different types of roles, but I still feel like I still have to do certain things that I have not (done yet). I really want to play a negative character. I want to do something in the horror space because there's so much fun and interesting stuff there. I feel like the girl next door because of the way I look; that's something that's always been offered to me as a scared and timid girl, and it probably comes naturally because of the way I look. But I really want to get out of this box and do something different as an actor, which I hope I get the chance to do very soon. But yeah, that is something that will probably excite you."

While talking about being choosy and getting fewer opportunities in movies, Ishita stated, "I believe I am choosy in that I need to be confident and certain about the character I play because I believe that if I am not certain, it will not translate well on the screen. So I don't want to do something just for the heck of it. I want to be really, really interested and keen; that's why a lot of projects do come to me, even though I probably don't feel like doing them. For me, the setup is very important, whom I'm working with. Sometimes the script can be very good, but if the makers are not right, it's not going to come out properly. So yes, I am a bit choosy. At the same time, I would say that, after Drishyam (2015), I got better offers on TV than I did in films, which I expected but, for whatever reason, didn't happen. But this time, I'm hoping after Drishyam 2, too, that I get some nice, interesting roles to play on the big screen, and that will be really exciting."

So does she have a fear that she might not get good offers if she is picky? To which the actor replied, "I think it's very nice, and I'm glad I can say that about 10–15 years ago, we had such good talent, such good actors, who have been really tapped, especially for females. I feel that after a certain age, it's like, "Go back home, have kids, and don't come back." So I'm very happy that all those big actresses, who are making their comeback now and being appreciated, are being watched. I really like this OTT format that has started."

Ishita concluded by saying, "Maybe I agree that women-centric films may not work in theaters. I'm not saying that I don't want to watch it. But, for whatever reason, people don't go; instead, they watch a masala film or watch big heroes do action. So it's good that we have another platform that can be totally dedicated to story-based stuff. So I am very happy that OTT has arrived; I believe it has provided tough competition to films and television, which must now up their game. It's important sometimes to have a healthy competition so that everybody thinks and reads things differently. For example, now, as you know, in theaters, the kinds of films that are working are very different."