‘Taking a sabbatical was a conscious choice, had nothing to do with marriage’
For Dia Mirza, who returned to the big screen with Sanju, after a hiatus of four years, this is nothing short of a dream comeback. The film — a biopic on actor Sanjay Dutt’s life — has not only become a blockbuster but has also earned Dia great reviews for portraying the role of Dutt’s onscreen wife (as Maanayata Dutt). In a freewheeling chat, the actor opens up about how it was to get into the shoes of her character, coming back to films after a long gap, and if things have changed on the work front after getting married.
Sanju continues to receive so much praise. What does it mean to be a part of such a special film?
It’s exciting for all of us. It’s so overwhelming and wonderful to receive the kind of love the film has, and it’ll always be a very special film for me.
You played a person who’s the most integral part of Dutt’s life now. How did you prep for it?
The most important thing when one is depicting a real-life character is to find the most honest emotion one can. With Sanju, we tried to make a sincere effort to find every detail that we could within the experiences being depicted in the film, understanding the situation in its full context and responding to it with honesty.
You made a comeback to cinema after four years. Were you not happy with the kind of roles being offered during this time?
The past couple of years have been about so many things — producing films, releasing them, getting married, waiting for the right opportunities. Sometimes, I’d be disappointed by the kind of parts coming my way, but I had decided to wait it out till I found something that called out to me. It has been scary but it has also been very interesting, because I’ve had the opportunity to seek life experiences outside the films.
You almost went on a sabbatical after you got married in 2014. Was that by choice or circumstances?
It was an absolutely conscious choice, but it had nothing to do with me being married or not. If anything, it had to do with the way the industry responds to you after being married. The kind of roles with which people approach you seem to change completely after marriage. But, things are changing and I’m hopeful that the quality of parts being offered will as well.
The kind of roles with which people approach you seem to change completely after marriage.
DIA MIRZA ACTOR
Any plans for the web space?
I’m doing some interesting work in the web space, reading [film] scripts, [and] looking forward to the rest of the year.