As an actor, it is fun to work in different languages: Ishita Dutta

She impressed the audience with her debut performance in Drishyam, where she played Ajay Devgn's daughter. Now, Ishita Dutta is set to grab eyeballs once again in her upcoming movie, Firangi. The young and effervescent actress will play the lead opposite actor and stand-up comedian Kapil Sharma.Ishita started her acting career with a Telugu film, Chanakyudu, in 2012, post which she also did a Kannada film, Raja Rajendra.In a tête-à-tête with CT, she talks about her journey so far. Excerpts:
Have you been to Kolkata before?
Of course! In fact, the city is like second home to me. My extended family lives here. So, we'd always visit Kolkata either to meet my cousins, to attend weddings or fam ily get-togethers. Since I am from Jamshedpur, travelling to Kolkata was hardly an issue.
After playing Ajay Devgn's daughter, you will be now romancing Kapil Sharma in Firangi. Are you happy with the big leap? Tell us something about your character.
I think Drishyam turned out to be an excellent platform for me. I got a chance to share the screen with actors like Ajay Devgn and Tabu in my debut film. And I was appreciated for my job. I hope the same happens with Firangi. The entire team has worked really hard and I am sure people are going to love it.I cannot reveal details of my char acter because we are planning to launch the proj ect soon. But I can definitely say that it is very close to my heart and I have worked really hard on my character. Rajeev Dhingra, my director, knew exactly what he wanted from me. And I blindly followed his instructions.
How was it working with Kapil Sharma, who recently faced a lot of flak after his spat with Sunil Grover?
Kapil is a great co-star and producer. As we all know, he has an amazing sense of humour. So, you can imagine how much fun we must have had while shooting. We were not allowed to click pictures with anyone as we did not want to reveal the look of our characters.But I remember how he would change into casual attire in between shots just to click pictures with his fans, who would come from far off places to meet him. I think that was really very sweet of him.
Your sister, Tanushree Dutta, is also an actress. Was she the one who inspired you to join the industry?
Didi has always been my inspiration. I consider myself very lucky to have a sister who is also my best friend, critic and guardian. I admire her a lot. However, the journey was mine alone. And I am glad that she was always there to guide me. I am blessed to have parents, who believed that we should follow our dreams. They have been very supportive. My family is my strength.
Tell us about your journey down south...
After completing my acting course from Anupam Kher's institute, I got a few offers from the south. I did a couple of Tamil commercials, a Telugu and a Kannada film, which did quite well.During that time, I got an offer for a TV serial. I shifted to Mumbai, because of which I couldn't do more south Indian films. But I would love to...As an actor, it is fun to work in different languages. Since I am a Bengali, I'd like to work in Tollywood as well.
Talking of south Indian film industry, two actors -Prabhas and Rana Daggubati -recently created a nationwide buzz with their performances in Baahubali 2... Given a choice, who would you like to choose as your co-star?
Both Prabhas and Rana Daggubati were phenomenal in the film and it would be an honour to work with them. We have such great actors in the Indian film industry that it's difficult to choose any one. And I have just started my career... I have a list of my favourite films and Baahubali is definitely one of them.
You have also worked in TV shows like Ek Ghar Banaunga and Rishton Ka Saudagar -Baazigar. If opportunities come knocking, would you work for the small screen again?
Yes, why not? I'd want to work in every medium possible -be it TV , theatre, film or web. I am looking for scripts that will give me a scope to perform.
If not an actress, what would you have become?
I would still be a part of the entertainment industry, maybe behind the camera. Or I could also be a fashion design er, who knows! I love food. So, I know for sure that I would start restaurant someday .
Tell us about your fitness regime.
I do not like to follow the same routine. But I do some form of workout regularly . I think change is interesting. So, I workout in the gym; I do Pilates, which is my new favourite. Sometimes, I go for dance classes. I am a big foodie and going on a diet is out of question. So, I try to strike a balance. I try to eat healthy most of the week, but I do pamper myself with cakes and sweets once in a while.
Actors across the world are speaking up against body-shaming. As more or less a newcomer in Bollywood, do you sometimes feel the pressure of conforming to the conventional notion of being thin?
I think it's sad how people are always strug gling with weight issues -not because of health reasons but because there is someone body-shaming them. I exercise because I want to be fit and healthy . I don't care what others think about me. Everyone has a different body type. It's unfair of people to expect everyone having a perfect body , as no one is perfect. Instead, one should focus on having a healthy body .