Mumbai, July 27: She looks resplendent in green, blending in as if in perfect harmony with the lush lawns of the poolside at this city five-star hotel. Dia Mirza More Pics
And even as she flashes those pearly whites, the sultry afternoon weather doesn’t seem so sapping any more. Professional to the core, she opts for the photocall even as the make-up is still fresh on her face before settling down for a tête-à-tête in the cool confines of the restaurant.
That for you ladies and gentlemen is Dia Mirza, who touched down in the city to scorch the ramp as showstopper for a fashion event.
Even as she sips her tea, Dia, rattles off saying that she has been to the city so many times that she has lost count. Proud of her Bengali connect through her mom and mamima, the actor says, “Whenever my mom and I want to have a secret conversation, we do so in Bengali only to find out each time that there is a Bengali present near us.”
Keen to put her Bengali connect to good use, Dia speaks out, “I’ve always very candidly confessed that I’d love to do an aesthetic Bengali venture. However, the closest, I’ve come to working with directors from Bengal are Pradeep Sarkar and Shoojit Sircar.” Are directors listening?
But Dia listens intently before answering what it is like to sashay down the ramp. “When the spotlight is on you, you feel special.” With the fashion weeks nearing, one wonders if she will be the showstopper for any designer. “It depends on the kind of association you share with the designer. If I’m free, I’ll do it. But being a showstopper isn’t as important as the movie Fashion made it out to be,” Dia jokes tongue firmly in cheek.
Talking of movies, it’s been sometime since this beautiful belle sizzled onscreen. “Well, that’s because all this time, I was working on six films and travelling all over,” she reasons. With a full kitty, the audience can hope to catch Dia in various avatars apart from her sweet, girl-next-door kind of roles so far.
“Most people cast keeping the actor’s persona in mind. But as an actor, it is essential to transform into any person onscreen. And the characters that I’ve essayed so far are of intelligent women,” Dia points out.
But hasn’t she ever been offered a character with dark shades to it? Dia answers in the affirmative clarifying that there dwells a dark side in all of us. “I’ve had such offers but the project didn’t excite me much,” says Dia continuing that she doesn’t have dark shades in real life though she can be assertive. “I’m largely a nice person. People sometimes do try to take advantage of my nice disposition. But that’s when the assertion comes in. And sometimes, I let people get away without having them realise that I’m already aware of their intentions. I don’t believe in confrontations with those who don’t matter to me. I’d rather reserve them for people I love and trust,” her petite exterior belies her headstrong interior.
Perhaps, it is this self- confidence that leads her to admit that insecurity is largely prevalent in the industry. But she is “NOT insecure”. Dia believes in competing with herself. At a time when the industry is flooded with fresh faces, Dia confesses, “There has to be something special that has made me last here. Experience is my strongest arsenal.”
Happy with the way her career is shaping up, one wonders when the actor plans to take the marriage vows. “I am very settled,” Dia signs off before she shoots off to take centrestage at the press conference.
–Agencies