Parineeta was a life- changing film, says Dia Mirza
Dia Mirza believes that her web series, Kaafir, which released a year back changed the course of her career. “When it came my way, I felt that the wait across all those years when I had said no to work was well worth it. Those who have watched it say that it’s my best work till date,” she says. The actor-producer shares that her character in the show helped her grow professionally and set a precedent for her upcoming slate of projects.
She elaborates, “The story and the character gave me the opportunity to discover facets of a life that I hadn’t been able to explore before. The process enriched my experiences as an artiste and human being. One of the first things that one needs to do in order to essay a part is to be able to empathise with the character and live their experiences. ”
This month also marks the fifteenth year of Parineeta (2005), which according to Mirza, was “a life-changing film”. She shares, “Even back then, I was so desperate to be part of something meaningful and work with a team I could learn from. When Vidhu Vinod Chopra gave me the opportunity to be part of Parineeta, I was so grateful. It was the first time that I saw such a great amount of method in the madness.”
She says that it’s a rather special film as it gave her some “lifelong friends”. Talking about her equation with Vidya Balan, she says, “I remember the entire process of prepping for the film and actively promoting the film with Sanjay (Dutt) sir and Saif (Ali Khan) as Vidya was kept unrevealed until the release of the film. Vidya and I laugh about it that we’ve some connection from another lifetime. There are very special bonds and memories attached to Parineeta.”