Nikita Dutta: Kabir Singh changed the way filmmakers looked at me

Seven years after Kabir Singh became one of Bollywood’s most discussed films, Nikita Dutta still finds herself revisiting its impact. The actress, who played Jiya Sharma in the blockbuster which released on June 21, 2019, says the film continues to remain relevant, because conversations around it never seem to end.Nikita says, “For me, it was a career-defining moment. After 2019, the way filmmakers looked at me and approached me changed completely. I give this film almost 99 percent of the credit for that.” Ironically, despite the success of the Telugu original Arjun Reddy, Nikita wasn’t convinced the Hindi remake would become such a phenomenon. “I actually thought the opposite. We’ve seen films work brilliantly in the South and then not perform the same way in Hindi.

So I didn’t expect Kabir Singh to become a hit. It taught me that sometimes you need to trust the filmmaker more than your own instincts.”Talking about stepping into Jiya Sharma’s shoes, Nikita reveals, “Jiya was an actress, so in some ways I was just playing a subtler version of myself. Sandeep Reddy sir asked me to watch Arjun Reddy, and when I met him, all he wanted to know was whether I liked the film and the character. There were no lengthy discussions about character graphs or detailed preparation.”

Yet playing Jiya wasn’t as easy as it looked, largely because the character spoke so little. “When you don’t have dialogues, everything depends on your expressions. This was the first time I was trying that kind of subtle performance.”The film’s success also left a lasting impact on her personally. “A big success changes you. It gave me confidence and self-belief. I suddenly felt there was something I was genuinely good at. That’s a very powerful feeling for an actor.”