Actress Divya Dutta recalled the time when Shah Rukh Khan spoke to filmmaker Mani Ratnam and offered to help her get a role in ‘Dil Se’. The ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ actor was keen to work in the 1998 film. She praised Shah Rukh’s generosity and revealed how thousands of fans gathered to catch a glimpse of him during the shooting of the film.

Divya Dutta, who worked with Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Veer Zaara’, remembers the time when she approached the superstar to get a role in ‘Dil Se’. In a recent interview with Siddharth Kannan, Divya said, “I wanted to do the film (‘Dil Se’), and Shah Rukh (Khan) and I had the same manager at the time. He suggested that I come to the set and ask him for Mani Ratnam’s number. I didn’t have a mobile phone then, so I reached Connaught Place exactly at the time I was told, and shot the chase scene from one side. Thousands of people had gathered to get a glimpse of Shah Rukh; there was not an inch of space to stand.”

Just when she thought she won’t be able to meet SRK, someone came and took her to a makeshift vanity van. Later, she realised that it was Shah Rukh Khan’s vanity van. Divya said, “He (SRK) opened the door for me and held my hand, he is a great fan of women. He asked how he could help, and I told him I really wanted to do the film. He asked if I would like to have coffee and told me he would pass on my message to Mani Ratnam. He said, ‘That’s all I can do.’ The crowd was standing outside, shouting his name and shaking the car.”

Though she met Mani Ratnam, she was not cast in the film, as the filmmaker said she looked too similar to Manisha Koirala, who played the lead role in the film.

Years later, Divya met Shahrukh during the shooting of ‘Veer Zaara’. Shahrukh also helped Divya understand the camera angles and said, “I will not be there on every set, you have to learn to take care of yourself.”

Talking about work front, Divya Dutta was last seen in ‘Aankh Micholi’ (2023).