Dia Mirza recalls ‘hard, terrifying' years of sharing room with her hairdresser to ward off unwanted midnight knocks on door: ‘Had to find a way to survive'
Dia Mirza, who started her film journey as a background dancer in a Tamil film, has had her own share of ups and downs as an outsider in the industry. After winning the title of Miss Asia Pacific International title in 2000, she marked her debut in Hindi cinema with Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, alongside R. Madhavan.
She has often shared losing several films because the opportunities were offered to others with industry backing. In a recent interview, Dia revealed that she had to share her room with her hairdresser to avoid unwanted knocks at night. The actor, whose parents got divorced when she was four and father passed away at nine, also spoke about how female actors in the industry had parents to support them, but she didn't.
During a conversation with Official People Of India, Dia was asked about navigating her path as an outsider in the film industry. 'I'll have to write a book about that someday. There's so much, there are so many layers to that question. But, if I have to be simple, it was hard and terrifying,' she smiled and replied.
She went on to reveal sharing her room for the longest time. 'My hairdresser used to share my room with me for many years to ward off unwanted visitors. It was really hard. I myself look back now and think I don't know how I managed.'
ALSO READ | 'Priyanka Chopra had solid support from parents…me and Lara Dutta ate instant noodles because we had no money', recalls Dia Mirza
It was Dia's team that stood strong with her at all times. 'A lot of the women in the industry have always had some parent around. Somebody's father or mother have always been a very active participant in their film career. I never had that. My team – hairdresser, makeup artist, and spotboy were my safety net. Which is why I never changed those technicians and that support group for years,' she said.
The actor continued, 'Prasad anna was my spotboy for all of the years that I worked until he passed away. I lost him during Covid. My hairdresser worked with me for 16-17 years straight, from my first film. That kind of created a safety net for me. We have to find out own ways to survive.'
Talking about how women characters today are better developed by female writers than how men wrote their roles years ago, she said, 'There are so many things that I have done as scenes or the kind of characters that I have played in my earlier films, without even realising how regressive some of that was or how I was being objectified, or how patriarchal the mindset was in the projection of the character. All of that only becomes something that you learn about and become aware of, therefore you can make better choices later.'
On the work front, Dia Mirza was last seen in the Netflix film Nadaaniyan, with Ibrahim Ali Khan and Khushi Kapoor.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
32 minutes ago
- India.com
Meet actor who called Shweta Tiwari 'Anpadh', featured in Bigg Boss, married twice, his name is...
Television actor Shweta Tiwari's former spouse, Raja Chaudhary, recently spoke openly about their divorce and responded to the accusations of physical abuse. In a discussion with Hindi Rush, he referred to Shweta as 'illiterate' and asserted that he was the one who envisioned the future for their daughter, Palak Tiwari. Raja Chaudhary Speaks On Shweta Tiwari Raja Chaudhary took a dig at Shweta Tiwari's education and mentioned that Shweta did not engage in her studies, it was he who determined Palak's future. He remarked, 'Tumne paise dekhe nahi, bachpan se tumne gareebi ki zindagi ji hai, chawl main rahe ho, achanak se jab paise aaye toh dimaag kharab hojaata hai logon ka. Padhai likhai tumne ki nahi hai, anpadh tum vaise ho, jhoote duniya jee rahe ho, toh jab aap kaam karne lagte ho toh the person doesn't remain the same. She became a businesswoman.' (You hadn't seen money before, you lived a life of poverty since childhood, and grew up in a chawl. When money suddenly comes, it messes with people's minds. You weren't educated, you're illiterate in that sense, living a fake life, so when you start working.) 'I earned it, it's my money', what have you truly earned? Did you come into this world by yourself? I fail to comprehend how anyone within a family could even utter the phrase 'this is my money.' It is our money. However, if that is the limit of her understanding, what can anyone do?' Who Is Raja Chaudhary? Raja is an alumnus of Asian Academy of Film & Television, who commenced his career with the Bhojpuri film Saiyyan Hamar Hindustani, where he starred opposite Shweta Tiwari in the role of an antagonist. He rose to prominence during his participation in the Hindi reality show Bigg Boss 2, where he secured the position of runner-up. Following this, he took part in another reality show titled Zor Ka Jhatka: Total Wipe Out. Chaudhary has also appeared in numerous television serials, including Your Honour, Daddy Samjha Karo, Chandramukhi, Aane Wala Pal, the period Indian fantasy series Kahani Chandrakanta Ki, and Adaalat. Additionally, he was featured in a television serial named Black on the 9X Channel, which was directed by Sunil Agnihotri. Personal Front Of Raja Chaudhary Raja took marriage vows with television actress and his co-star from his debut film, Shweta Tiwari, in 1998. Together, they had daughter named Palak Tiwari. The couple appeared together in the second season of the reality dance competition, Nach Baliye. However, they later parted ways after Tiwari initiated divorce proceedings in 2007, concluding their nine-year marriage. In 2015, he entered into marriage with Shveta Sood, a corporate professional based in Delhi. Unfortunately, he and Shveta divorced in 2022.
Pink Villa
an hour ago
- Pink Villa
Palak Tiwari's father Raja Chaudhary comments on her alleged relationship with Ibrahim Ali Khan: 'Maturity hai hi nahi logon mein'
Palak Tiwari is among the young talents who have just started their bollywood journey. The actress often makes headlines for her rumored romantic relationship with Ibrahim Ali Khan. Neither of them ever confirmed or denied the same. Meanwhile, Palak's father and actor Raja Chaudhary talked about her dating life and showed his unwillingness. In a recent interview with Hindi Rush, Raja Chaudhary spoke about his life, divorce from Shweta Tiwari (Palak Tiwari's mother), and a lot more. The actor, who predominantly worked in Bhojpuri cinema and in Hindi TV serials, was asked whether he is in touch with his daughter Palak. Responding to the same, the actor said, 'Haan baat hoti hai, through Social media.' Further, he mentioned that he keeps writing letters to her, but since she is making her career, she always says that she is too busy and doesn't even meet her mother. Raja Chaudhary reacts to Palak Tiwari's dating rumors Raja Chaudhary, then, conveyed his unwillingness regarding Palak 's dating rumors. He said, 'Agar mujhe mauka mile samjhane ka toh main to yahi kahunga ki bhai inn chakkaro se door rahe aur apne career par focus kar, wohi ek cheez hai, ultimately tere kaam aane wali hai tere. (If I get a chance, I would say, stay away from these things and focus on your career, that is the only thing that will ultimately be useful to you.)' He went on to add that, '30-35 saal se pahle relationship karna hi nahi chahiye, mujhe lagta hai sab immature rahte hai. Maturity hai hi nahi logon me bss bachpane me shadi kar lete hai log and that turns out to be a big blunder. Phir rote raho, koshte raho ek dusre ko.' (One should not have a relationship before 30-35 years, I feel that everyone is immature. People do not have maturity, they just get married in childhood and that turns out to be a big blunder. Then keep crying, keep blaming each other.) Palak Tiwari has lived with her mother, Shweta Tiwari, ever since their parents parted ways. Reportedly, Raja and Shweta were married in 1998. Nine years after marriage, Shweta filed for a divorce in 2007, which was eventually granted in 2012. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates.
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Antony Varghese recounts scary flight experience after wrapping 'I'm Game' second schedule
Antony Varghese recently recollected a harrowing flight experience after concluding the second production schedule of his upcoming film, I'm Game, in Hyderabad. The actor's journey back to Kochi turned into an unexpected ordeal. "Still in awe of what happened yesterday," Antony wrote on Instagram. "After wrapping up the shoot for I'm Game, I boarded Indigo 6E 6707 from Hyderabad to Kochi. What seemed like a routine flight turned into something straight out of a movie." When the Indigo flight approached Kochi, the weather took a dramatic turn. Antony detailed the suspenseful moments: "As we approached Kochi, the weather turned wild. The first landing attempt was aborted just a few feet above the runway. The second try was even more intense, we were right there, almost touching down, when the pilot made a split-second decision to pull up and not land. Without even brushing the runway, she lifted the aircraft back into the skies. Goosebumps." Antony lauded the professionalism of the crew during the crisis. "With incredible calm and clarity, she diverted the flight to Coimbatore for refueling. You could feel the tension in the cabin, people were panicked, shaken. But the way the crew, all women, handled the situation was nothing short of inspiring." After the diversion and refueling in Coimbatore, the flight successfully took off again and landed safely in Kochi. Antony described the collective relief in the cabin: "After refueling, we took off again and finally landed safely in Kochi. As soon as the wheels touched down, the cabin erupted into applause." Antony concluded his account with a heartfelt tribute to the flight crew. "To the phenomenal women in the cockpit and the cabin, your quick decisions, precision, and professionalism turned a terrifying situation into a moment of deep respect and gratitude. Thank you for showing us what true grace under pressure looks like." Nahas Hidhayath, known for RDX, directs I'm Game, a film billed as a mass entertainer with a significant sports element. The film is a collaborative effort, with Sajeer Baba, Bilal Moidu, and Ismail Aboobacker scripting it, and Aadarsh Sukumaran and Shahabas Rasheed penning the dialogues. The cast also includes Tamil actor-director Mysskin, Kathir, and Samyuktha Viswanathan. Jimshi Khalid serves as cinematographer, Jakes Bejoy as music director, Chaman Chakko as editor, Anbariv as action choreographers, and Ajayan Chalissery as production designer. Dulquer Salmaan and Jom Varghese are producing it under the Wayfarer Films banner. I'm Game will see a multi-language release, including Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada, in addition to Malayalam.
