I am hungry as an actress: Dia Mirza

She reflects contentment and admits to the same. Actor Dia Mirza, in her own words “is loving the way life is right now”. Having turned producer with Love, Breakups, Zindagi, she’s not complaining about all the responsibility that’s now hers.

“Our (Zayed Khan, Sahil Sangha and her) company, Born Free, is because of this film. We unanimously identified with the script and knew this story had to be told from the heart. Of course, we were aware of the business module too but ultimately, the liberty to explore our creative side gave us such a high,” states Dia.

Just as it wasn’t rocket science to decide on the name of their company, the production value of Love... was something they didn’t want to compromise on.

“Having been an actor and then, turning producer, we wanted Love… and Born Free to reflect the way we think. And every time I see footage from the film or listen to the songs, I see that the final product reflects our belief — the nitty-gritties of production, the characterisation or even the music,” she explains.

But she can’t deny the jitters either. “I keep wondering if we are marketing the film right, whether people know October 7 is the day — it’s worrying, at times. But then, I am comforted that the content always draws attention,” she informs.

Talking about her character in the film, Naina, Dia says, “In most ways, Naina is so me! I identify with her situations and a lot of her traits. She’s maternal, independent and finds beauty in other people’s moments and happiness. But unlike me, she doesn’t believe in confrontations or even bothers to listen to that inner voice that tells her to give some importance to her own feelings.”

Having made her debut in 2001, Dia completes a decade in the industry this year. Quiz her on the same and she states, “I sit back and laugh at some of the ridiculous things I have done but I’m also proud of the conviction with which I have spent all these years. The last 10 years have been a drawing of experience from my strengths and weaknesses and from now on, it starts afresh.

I feel I’ve just begun.” So, does she feel she’s got her due in the industry? “I always got the tail of the carrot because my films didn’t do well and I now realise there’s still so much of reserve in me waiting to be tapped — I’m hungry as an actor,” she signs off.