Actor Divya Dutta has portrayed the role of an ideal wife and daughter-in-law several times onscreen. However, in real life off-camera, the 48-year-old actor has candidly shared that she is open to love, but not marriage. “You should get married for the right reasons. On a very serious note, marriage is an institution which needs to have two people who grow together. If that is something that I’m not finding right, then I will not get married,” said Divya, whose upcoming social drama Chiraiya aims to raise awareness about the critical topic of marital rape in our country.
Divya further explained, “Rather than have a tumultuous marriage or a disturbed marriage, I’d rather be happily single. And what’s wrong with that? I just feel I’m at a stage where what I need is companionship and not marriage. That’s my choice, and that’s how it is.” However, the actor went on to add that she believes one should never say never. “You know, in life, I have always thought never say never. So I’m not saying no to anything. But as of now, that’s my situation. I’m very happy with it.” When Salman Khan, one of India’s most famous single men, was mentioned, Divya replied, “I think ek Salman ki, aur ek meri, toh aisa ho gaya hai. Mujhe lagta hai aisi bohot audience hai jinko lagta hai ‘iski shaadi karwa deni chahiye’, pata nahi kyun. I have answered this question so many times. I want to say, ‘Theek hai bhai, meri shaadi karwa do’.”
Talking about the topic of marital rape, which is discussed on her upcoming show, and how marriage does not cancel consent, Divya shared, “It’s about the way you go about respecting your partner. It’s not about, you know, I think the answer goes, ‘Shaadi license nahi hai’. You’ve got to be respecting your partner. You have to grow together gradually. Imposing something shouldn’t be licensed out. And I guess when you grow together as friends is the most amazing thing. And basic respect in every relationship. I think that’s a must, and that’s what I’d like to tell everybody, that it doesn’t say you don’t do this, you don’t do that, you shouldn’t be doing what a marriage needs to, but there’s a way of doing it. Consent is very important.”
Also starring Sanjay Mishra, Faisal Rashid, Siddharth Shaw, Prasanna Bisht and Sarita Joshi, Chiraiya is set to release on Hotstar on March 20.
