Dia Mirza: Delighted to see diverse parts written for women today
Mumbai: Dia Mirza is delighted to see diverse parts written for women today, but she tends to gravitate more towards ‘positive’ characters that can be imperfect. She said fans will see her in a different light in her latest release, ‘Bheed’, directed by Anubhav Sinha, which hit screens on Friday.
In the social drama, the actor plays the role of Geetanjali, an elite woman stuck on the road amid the pandemic-induced lockdown, making it impossible for her to reach her child.
“It all depends on the imagination of the filmmaker. We all suffer from being stereotyped and the problem of being boxed. By the choices that we make and the things that we say, we can create our own path. I am quite kicked with the diversity of parts, but I tend to resonate more with positive parts. Also, human beings even while they are positive, can be flawed. I find that interesting. I guess people will get to see a bit of that in ‘Bheed’,” the 41-year-old actor told the top news agency.
Over the years, Mirza said her choices have evolved and today she consciously chooses parts that are closer to reality.
“Early part of my career went in understanding who I am, what I want and what I don’t want. Today, the kind of roles that I am playing is connected to reality, connected to the everyday life of people and their struggles and issues. And I learn about all this from whatever work I do in the social sphere. Besides, with life experiences, you grow as a person and that starts reflecting in the choices that you make,” said the former Miss India Asia-Pacific, who received wide acclaim for her small yet impactful role of an ambitious single mother in Sinha’s 2020 drama ‘Thappad’.
Recalling the early 2000s, a period when she played leading lady in movies such as her debut ‘Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein’, ‘Deewaanapan’, ‘Dum’ and ‘Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge’, Mirza said she was struggling to overcome failure as well as seek good work opportunities.
“I was so young when I joined the film industry and I have seen a lot of setbacks. When your films don’t work, the media and the industry are so harsh. They make it look like it is your fault that your films didn’t work,” she said.
She added, “With these experiences, you go through the challenge of not finding work when you believe you deserve more work. And then you realise that if you keep waiting for people to give you what you want, you will never have it. You will have to trust what you can offer and meet opportunities with preparedness.”
