Dia Mirza: We become more discerning about our choices as we mature

Dia Mirza

She is an actor and will remain one says Dia Mirza, but at the same time she believes people should pursue different paths in life rather than feeling content with the choices they have already made. The actor made her Bollywood debut opposite R Madhavan in Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, which also featured Saif Ali Khan, in the year 2000 and over the next few years she starred in many projects such as Dum, Parineeta, Dus, Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd among others.

But since the turn of last decade, the 36-year-old former Miss Asia Pacific has appeared in fewer projects.

"My intention is to continue acting in films. But I think as we mature in the industry and your exposure to life and work increases, then I think as an individual you become more discerning about the choices you make," Dia told PTI.

"There is a combination of a couple of things. One is that I set up a production company at the age of 26. I have made and produced two films," she added.

Dia owns the production house, Born Free Entertainment, with husband Sahil Sangha. The banner has given out films Love Breakups Zindagi and Bobby Jasoos.

As a female actor in Bollywood, Dia is unfazed about the people's opinion about her and the decisions she has made, and said women must strive to break the stereotypical mindset that tries to bring them down.

"I think there are many stereotypes that we as individuals need to break, especially as females in the industry. One of them being that once you get married people don't believe that you are interested in working anymore... For some reasons, men don't have to deal with all of this."

"So our choices will continue to break these stereotypes. Yes, I am very much an actor and will remain an actor till the day I die. At the same time, I am a producer as well and will continue to make films. And alongside that do everything else that I feel passionately about," Dia said.

She contends that people must be allowed to explore the plurality in them and should not be caged to a particular sphere.

"I think it is important that we recognise the multiplicity in people and let them explore that. I have the privilege to explore the multiplicity and don't want to be contained by or reduced into one box or dimension," she said.

The actor, who will be next seen in actor Sanjay Dutt's biopic, where she is portraying his wife, Maanyata Dutt, believes it is destiny that she was offered the role.

"I just feel that our destinies are intertwined in some ways. I don't know what it is but I am so fond of him(Sanjay Dutt). He has been nothing but wonderful to me over the years and I have always enjoyed working with him," Dia said.

"It was a very special experience to work with one of my favourite directors, Raju Hirani, and to have an opportunity to work with Ranbir Kapoor on a subject that is close to all of us and we care so much for. I have really enjoyed working every minute on the film," she added.

The actor also said that there is a lot of "wonderful" things about Dutt and his wife that people do not know and will explore them through the film.

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