Birthdays are a ‘huge deal’ for Dia

The actor, who turned a year older yesterday, says her Iranian film doing well is the best birthday gift

Actors lead hectic lives and often can’t find time for special occasions. But Dia Mirza says that no matter how busy she is, celebrating her birthday is her biggest priority. Growing up, her parents made every birthday memorable for her. “I was born seven years after my mother was told that she couldn’t conceive. So, my parents made me feel really special. My birthday was a huge deal, and it was always about giving me a memory,” says the former beauty pageant winner.

Her Iranian film, Salaam Mumbai, opened last week, and Dia says the positive response that the movie has received is the best gift for her. “I did not expect so much love, because I didn’t know if this experiment would pay off. This is the first Iranian film shot in Mumbai. It was a tough part, because it was so unlike the urban woman that I am,” she says.

Dia is also excited about heading to Iran, as her father, an artist, used to hold exhibitions and workshops there when she was a child. “I was fascinated by the stories that my father told me. I want to try and relive those memories,” she says.

I did not expect so much love, as I didn’t know if this experiment [Iranian film] would pay off. DIA MIRZA, ACTOR

I was in my late 20s and that’s when I decided that I wouldn’t do roles that didn’t excite me. DIA MIRZA, ACTOR

While Dia has always been vocal about the fact that women must get more substantial roles in Bollywood, she explains why she decided to take a break from acting. “I actually went through a phase when I felt like ‘why should I suffer the disrespect and humiliation of not getting the kind of work I deserved?’ I was in my late 20s then and that’s when I decided that I wouldn’t do roles that didn’t excite me. By God’s grace, my production house is doing well. I didn’t have a rich father from the industry backing me but I had Sahil as a great partner,” says Dia. Although the quality of roles being offered to women actors has improved, Dia says the industry still remains male-dominated. “There is a rebellion of sorts. In the ’80s and the ’90s, women were reduced to just being commodities, but now with thinking actors such as Alia [Bhatt], Deepika [Padukone] and Priyanka [Chopra] there is light at the end of the tunnel.”