Divya Dutta says OTT has opened doors to powerful lead roles for women over 40

Actress Divya Dutta says OTT platforms have transformed storytelling by creating nuanced, relatable roles for women across age groups, including those above 40. She believes stronger writing and flexible viewing options have also raised audience expectations for theatrical films

Mumbai: Actress Divya Dutta believes the emergence of OTT platforms has brought a significant change in storytelling, allowing women to portray layered, relatable characters across different age groups, including those above 40.

During an exclusive conversation with IANS, about the difference between the portrayal of women on OTT and in theatrical films, Divya Dutta said streaming platforms have placed greater emphasis on telling real stories that audiences could relate to. “Of course, with the onset of OTT coming in, there has been a lot of emphasis on storytelling. We will say a story, a real story, which feels relatable,” she said.

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The actress said OTT had brought greater acceptance of ageing and created opportunities for women to play substantial characters beyond their twenties and thirties. “OTT is what brought in, I think, the grace of one, ageing, one, the layers of characters of every group, age group. If you are in your 20s, 30s, even after 40s, there are roles which are very beautiful. I have just done something that I headed, that show did supremely well, and I headed and that’s, what do you say, that’s a post-40 role, right? So, we couldn’t have thought of those characters before, that okay, do you get such roles in lead characters? So, now there are layers in the characters,” Divya said.

She further explained that OTT storytelling had allowed characters to reflect the complexities of human behaviour instead of being restricted to conventional definitions of good and bad. “We all, would respond to a difficult situation differently. If I get angry, I get angry. So, you are not good or bad, you are a human being, who has mistakes, who has layers. Those layers OTT brought in, brought in good writing,” she said. Divya Dutta added that audiences had welcomed this shift, with the flexibility of streaming platforms also contributing to their popularity.

“And also, the audience loved it. People liked it so much. Also, you are at home, watching it at your own discretion, whenever you want, as you want. You want your space or you want to watch it with your family. When you get such a democratic platform, then of course, things change,” the actress said.

According to Divya Dutta, the impact of OTT has also influenced audience expectations from theatrical films. “The audience starts expecting, even on a big screen. So, now people expect that even if it is a typical role, because it has come from OTT, it is coming. It didn’t happen before OTT, it used to be less. Now, it has become a way of life, which is amazing,” she said.

On the professional front, Divya Dutta has built a career spanning more than three decades by choosing characters that have gone beyond conventional supporting roles, often bringing depth, strength and emotional complexity to women on screen.

From playing Shabbo, Shah Rukh Khan’s confidante in Veer-Zaara, and Milkha Singh’s sister Isri Kaur in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Jalebi in Delhi-6 and a complex political character in Irada. Her performance in Irada earned her the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was recently seen in Gajab Raat, a suspense thriller starring Manoj Bajpayee, in which she plays politician Suneeta Chaudhary. Produced by Neeraj Pandey and directed by Ritesh Shah, the film premiered on Netflix on October 23, 2026.