Divya Dutta reveals she has a ‘huge crush’ on Farhan Akhtar; Says ‘I didn’t want to play his sister…’

Divya Dutta, who played a pivotal role in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, recently shared that she had initially turned down the film because of her “huge crush” on Farhan Akhtar. In a recent interview with Pinkvilla, Divya revealed that she rejected the role. Because she did not want to play the role of Farhan’s sister.

She said, “I wasn’t doing it because I had a huge crush on Farhan at that time. I said, ‘Why should I play his sister?’ Rakesh said but you are an actor, you are a professional. I said yes but… you know…”

However, the filmmaker explained that it was a brother-sister story and accepted the role.

In his memoir, The Stranger in the Mirror, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra revealed that Divya Dutta was his final choice for the role in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. He considered himself fortunate to have re-imagined the traditional portrayal of a sister, who is often shown as a mere assistant or sympathizer for the protagonist. “I am blessed that I was able to re-imagine the stereotypical sister who is rarely more than an insignificant prop or object of pity for the protagonist through my role in the film,” she wrote.

During the interview, Divya recalled a memorable incident from the filming of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. She told how, when she reached the set a day before, director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra introduced her to someone. To their surprise, it was Farhan Akhtar, who transformed himself into the character of Milkha Singh. Amazed by the look, she had said, “It is not Farhan at all. This is Milkha.”

During filming, Divya recalled a touching moment when Farhan Akhtar’s character Milkha gifted her character gold earrings. She revealed that while acting out the scene, she couldn’t help but wonder how it would end. Everyone on the set was deeply moved as the scene reached its climax saluting Milkha, leading to a group hug.