Dia Mirza, best known for her role in “Rehna Hain Tere Dil Main”, has turned producer. The first film of the company, Born Free Entertainment Private Limited, that she set up with good friends Zayed Khan and Cyrus Sahukar, “Love, Breakups, Zindagi” is ready for release.

 

“This is possibly the most beautiful phases in my life.” Talking about her chance encounter with acting, she says: “I never imagined I would be an actor. I grew to discover my love for acting. I was intrigued by the various facets of filmmaking. Offers for acting began pouring in after I had won Miss India pageant in 2000. I didn't take them up then. It was only much later that I did.”

 

Dia learnt from her mistakes. “When some of my movies didn't do well I took the initiative to learn more about filmmaking. By and by, I understood its finer aspects. About four years ago, I began doing work I respected. Yes, I've made mistakes. I've agreed to act in films out of a favour for a friend. But that's the past and I've left it behind and moved on. I'm at a stage where I do work because it makes me happy, I don't do things to prove a point.” Quiz her on the kind of roles she would like to do, and Dia replies: “I don't look for ideal roles. I look for a good script, because filmmaking is about story-telling. The film must be socially relevant, even if it's a commercial film. Cinema is a human-driven process. It means you need to give respect to the art and have faith in the cast and crew. I believe that the negative in a film, captures the soul of story. The energy behind the scenes transcends into the film.”

 

“Love, Breakups, Zindagi” was a “joy ride” for Dia. “A large cast and the workshops helped us to make a wonderful film. It's a film about relationships for which we forged strong bonds among ourselves.” Acting is never an easy job, the glare of the arc-lights adversely affect actors at times.

 

“Though I enjoy acting thoroughly, the most taxing part about acting is that you are not at the most comfortable physically. You have to, at all times, no matter what happens, maintain your equilibrium.”

 

Her approach to a role isn't a carefully considered one. “Ultimately, what one sees in a role is your soul. I dissect a role, read the script and build a graph on the character. I like to stay with the character as much as possible.”

 

Dia confesses that she's an avid reader. “I love reading science fiction and of late, I like reading biographies. A lot of good movies can be made based on the lives of people such as Amrita Shergill and Rukmini Devi. They were remarkable women. We may be contemporary women in name, but we aren't half as modern and inspiring as the women of the 19{+t}{+h} Century.”

 

A woman of many talents, Dia says: “I've written columns. I'm also a painter; some of my work has also been used as sets in my films. Pottery is another one of my passions. I yearn to learn something new every year.”

 

Someday, Dia would like to publish a collection of her favourite quotes. “Mahatma Gandhi's quotes inspire me. I remember reading many quotes as a child. I used to go through ‘The Reader's Digest' and pick out lines from it that had an impact on me.”

 

As for being a recognised style icon, Dia contends that she has a natural style of her own. “I enjoy clothes and accessories. Travelling has exposed me to different styles. I just wear whatever suits me and I'm comfortable in.”