For Karan Johar’s Gippi, to be released next month, actress Divya Dutta plays a single mother to the young protagonist and says she is inspired by her own mother.
Says Divya, “Yes, my role in Gippi is that of single mother who’s more of a buddy to her daughter. She’s not a stereotypical mom but crazy, yet strong and emotional. I did see a lot of my mom in my character. I lost my father when I was seven. My mom brought me and my brother up. Though I missed dad, she never let us feel there was something missing in our life. She is a doctor and a government officer at work and and a fun mom at home. We have done the craziest things together. Through the terrorism days in Punjab, when everything was so engulfed in fear, mom was fearless and professional in her dealings with all those who came to her for medical help and checkups and then little me would hide behind her dupatta praying no one shoots us! I wonder now, why she never thought of marrying again as she was so young, pretty and lonely when dad passed away but she said that her children were her world and she didn’t need anyone else. She used to write lovely poems and then throw all that in the dustbin. My brother would collect them and when we read them, we realised that our strong and fun mom was vulnerable too! Some years ago, we compiled those papers and published two books on her poetry and short stories and gifted her on Mother’s Day as a small token to my biggest inspiration!”
Aww! Now doesn’t that warm the cockles of your heart?