Divya Dutta on Bollywood's 'herd mentality': 'Similar roles trickle in after a success'

Divya Dutta believes OTT has opened up opportunities for story-led, character-oriented projects, but says the industry still needs to move beyond the herd mentality.

With OTT platforms changing the entertainment landscape, actors are increasingly getting opportunities to headline stories that revolve around complex characters and subjects that may not necessarily find space in mainstream cinema. Divya Dutta, who recently received considerable appreciation for leading the social drama Chiraiya (2026), believes that while the industry is moving in the right direction, there is still a long way to go. In an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, the actor spoke about the changing nature of scripts, the success of Chiraiya, the kind of roles coming her way and why she continues to be selective about her projects.

Divya Dutta on how OTT is changing the kind of stories being told

Talking about the changing entertainment landscape and the increasing number of character-driven stories, Divya said, "With OTTs coming in, the layers are really changing. There are more story-led, character-oriented things coming in, people are ready to experiment. Having said that, there's still a long way to go."

The actor cited her experience with Chiraiya as an example of how stories led by strong characters can find an audience and make a difference. The series dealt with the sensitive subject of marital rape and challenged the deeply ingrained misconception that marriage implies unconditional consent.

Speaking about the response to the show, she said, "I was very fortunate where Chiraiya came by where you lead the show and shoulder it. It has been an unprecedented success. People have been like, 'It has been the biggest success around.' And, the kind of reach it has had, it impacted people's lives; that's the power of visual medium, and that is what I feel even this film (The Last Man In Tower) is going to do."

Divya added, "It will shake people up, and I am glad that such stories are being made. The kinds that make you stop, pause and make a difference and change or tweak a little about yourselves where you voluntarily take up to better the situations that need our attention. Yes, these roles are being made but I wish the volume of these roles is a little more."

'Herd mentality when you have a successful project'

On being asked whether the kind of conversations she is having with filmmakers and the roles being offered to her have changed following the success of Chiraiya, Divya said, "I have been one of those actors, who has done theatre and OTT simultaneously. In that context, mine and Manoj's things have gone very similar. We've just not done cinema, we've just not done OTT, we are doing both. Earlier, too, I was choosy about what I take on because I wanted to just 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."

However, the actor also acknowledged that a successful project often results in filmmakers typecasting an actor, and approaching them with similar or same roles. "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," she added.

Divya Dutta on reuniting with Manoj Bajpayee in The Last Man in Tower

Divya's film The Last Man in Tower brings her together with Manoj Bajpayee, and their pairing is particularly interesting because the two actors have been part of several films together without actually sharing screen space. They featured in LOC: Kargil (2003), Veer-Zaara (2004), Special 26 (2013) and Traffic (2016), but their characters never appeared together onscreen. They've finally come across with this Ben Rekhi-film. The two were also seen together in the Netflix crime drama Gajab Raat.

In The Last Man in Tower, Divya plays Sangeeta Puri, while Manoj essays Yogesh Mishra, a retired teacher who refuses to give up his home despite the rest of his housing society agreeing to a lucrative redevelopment deal. Boman Irani also plays a pivotal role in the film.

Divya explores another layered character that tests human relationships, greed, morality and the changing dynamics of urban communities.

The Last Man in Tower: Release date, cast and story

Directed by Ben Rekhi, The Last Man in Tower is based on Booker Prize-winning author Aravind Adiga's novel of the same name. The film revolves around a Mumbai housing society where a redevelopment proposal divides residents. While most of the residents agree to accept the developer's lucrative offer, retired school teacher Yogesh Mishra refuses to vacate his home. His decision puts him at odds with his neighbours, turning a seemingly straightforward property deal into a larger conflict involving ambition, greed, friendship and morality.

The film features Manoj Bajpayee, Divya Dutta, Boman Irani, among others. Produced by Rana Daggubati's Spirit Media, the film was released in theatres on September 11, 2026, and began streaming on ZEE5 on November 6, 2026.