India, Oct. 9 -- For actor Ishita Dutta Sheth, life has come full circle. "It was my first film, and meri pehchaan comes from this film," she says.

As the Drishyam franchise where she plays Anju Salgaonkar, reaches its climax with Drishyam: The Conclusion, Dutta admits the box-office response has been overwhelming. "We were surprised. Itna zyada intezar tha logo ko; it was a huge surprise for all of us."

Living through the annual "October 2" meme mania, she laughs, "That was the perfect release date. Every year, I get flooded with messages." The pop-culture ritual involving Satsang, pav bhaji, and Panaji has even gone global. "I have friends abroad who get those October 2 messages without fail," she chuckles. "They might forget my birth...