There’s much more to Dia

Dia Mirza is involved in a number of social causes. Photo: Joy Datta

Shoma A. Chatterji on the versatile beauty, who is also involved in a number of social causes, besides acting

Dia Mirza, the beautiful young lady who won the Miss Asia Pacific beauty contest in 2000, is known for her involvement in social activism in different ways. But acting remains her first love, which she stepped into after attending an acting workshop under noted theatre personality Feroz Khan. She pushed the borders of her involvement in cinema recently by taking on the female lead in a Bengali film called Paanch Adhyay directed by noted film journalist Pratim Dasgupta. She is playing Ishita, a Kolkata-based, middle-class school teacher, who falls in love with Arindam, an ad filmmaker.

You came into films after winning a top beauty contest. Was this a hurdle in your film career or did lay a good foundation?

It is a double-edged sword...it was a great platform for opportunity to beckon but at the same time, it took an equal effort to ward off the perception that models and beauty queens can’t act.

What criteria do you apply while accepting an assignment? Is it the director, banner, role, price or anything else that makes you accept the role?

The first criteria is the director. I need to sense that the person captaining the ship will be able to steer it in the direction it needs to go in. A good script can go very wrong with a weak director. The second is the script. And the third, and the most important, is the producer of the film. A director may make a good film but the film must reach the audience. And that is what a producer ensures. Too much hard work, passion and time go into making a film and it can only bear fruit with a sound production banner.

What kind of actress are you: trained, natural or a director’s actor?

I think I am a director’s actor. I love to prepare and ask questions but I realise that I blossom when I am in the hands of gentle guidance and trust.

Which five of your films are closest to your heart?

My first film Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein is closest to my heart because it was my first. Even today, people mention the film when they interact with me. Tumsa Nahi Dekha is another favourite. I got a chance to work with Anurag Basu and Mahesh Bhatt, who guided me in an unexplored direction. I think it was a great learning experience for me. Lage Raho Munna Bhai is a film that I love and respect though I did not do the lead. I feel honoured to have been a part of the film. Hum Tum Aur Ghost offered me a role I enjoyed playing. I love the way my character Gehna is presented in the film. Working with Arshad was a great learning process. Love Breakups Zindagi because it is the first film I’ve produced and acted in. It is my most cherished filming experience.

You are seriously involved in many socially significant areas of life.

My early education at Vidyaranya High School based on the teachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti instilled in me a deep awareness about the broader world and empathy for fellow beings. I have been involved with the Cancer Patients Aid Association, ADAPT, PETA, CRY and have worked extensively with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to spread HIV awareness and prevent female foeticide. I have never shied away from taking a stance and speaking my mind when I felt I needed to. I wrote an article for the UNEP as the official green entry for India titled "A Pledge for a Green Environment." I have been appointed brand ambassador for Body Shop India for my work related to environment.

Recently, you participated in a ramp show for kids’ fashions held in Mumbai. Do you approve of children of the age of four being used for a
ramp parade?

Every child at that event was so much at ease and happy about being there! I really think it is a personal choice that lies in the hands of the parents. The clothes on display were for children and I appreciate the fact that children would have to model them.

Name some directors you would like to and enjoyed working with.

I enjoyed working with Rajkumar Hirani, Sahil Sangha and Pratim Das Gupta. I would love to work with Anurag Kashyap, Gautam Ghosh, Dibakar Banerjee, and Shyam Benegal.

Who do you look up to as role models in Hindi cinema?

Shabana Azmi. I love the fact that she is a thinking actor and has carried herself through time with such aplomb. I am her ardent admirer. I love Konkona as well. She is a brilliant actor and someone I really respect.

HOME