Actor Dia Mirza says she is delighted to see diverse parts written for women today, but she tends to gravitate more towards "positive" characters that can be imperfect.
Mirza said fans will see her in a different light in her latest release "Bheed", directed by Anubhav Sinha which hit the screens on Friday.
In the social drama, the actor plays the role of Geetanjali, an elite woman stuck on the road amid the pandemic-induced lockdown making it impossible for her to reach her child.
"It all depends on the imagination of the filmmaker. We all suffer from being stereotyped and the problem of being boxed. The choices that we make, the things that we say, we can create our own path."
"I am quite kicked with the diversity of parts but I tend to resonate more with positive parts. Also, human beings even while they are positive, they can also be flawed. I find that interesting. I guess people will get to see a bit of that in 'Bheed'," the 41-year-old actor told PTI in an interview.
Over the years, Mirza said her choices have evolved and today she consciously chooses parts that are closer to reality.
"Early part of my career went in understanding who I am, what I want, and what I don’t want. Today, the kind of roles that I am playing are connected to reality, connected to everyday life of people, and their struggles and issues."
"And I learn about all this from whatever work I do in the social sphere. Besides, with life experiences you grow as a person and that starts reflecting in the choices that you make,” said the former Miss India Asia-Pacific, who received wide acclaim for her small yet impactful role of an ambitious single mother in Sinha’s 2020 drama “Thappad”.
Recalling early 2000s -- a period when she played leading lady in movies such as her debut "Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein", “Deewaanapan”, "Dum", and “Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge” -- Mirza said she was struggling to overcome failure as well as seek good work opportunities.
“I was so young when I joined (the film industry) and I have seen a lot of setbacks. When your films don’t work, the media, the industry are so harsh. They make it look like it is your fault that your films didn’t work,” she said.
“With these experiences, you go through the challenge of not finding work when you believe you deserve more work. And then you realise that if you keep waiting for people to give you what you want, you will never have it. You will have to trust what you are able to offer and meet opportunities with preparedness,” she added.
In her over 10-year career, the actor said the length of the role has never been a concern for her. Her film credits include titles such as “Lage Raho Munna Bhai”, “Sanju”, and “Parineeta”.
“I have always based my choices on what is the character lending to the narrative, what substance I can give it. If I find that there is something that I can do, like something that can leave you with a thought, evoke some emotion, compel you to question something, I take up the role,” she said.
Mirza will next be seen in Taapsee Pannu's production “Dhak Dhak”, a road trip film alongside Ratna Pathak Shah, Fatima Sana Shaikh, and Sanjana Sanghi.
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