There is a demand to see more of me: Dia Mirza

Known for her roles in ‘Rehnaa Hai Tere Dil Mein’, ‘Dus’ and ‘Sanju’, the Bollywood actress was most recently seen in ‘Thappad’. She tells Showtime she banks on instincts to choose films

You don’t get to see many Dia Mirza movies nowadays, she has become choosy. However, she is a consistent presence in pop culture, voicing social issues and for her carefully hand-picked films.

Riding on the success of her latest film ‘Thappad’, Dia spoke to Showtime about how she selects her work and the progress her environmentalism has made.

Excerpts:

How did you become involved with ‘Thappad’?

That’s a very simple question. The only way one can respond to a subject is from instinct. (Director) Anubhav (Sinha) narrated just one line of the subject and I was just very excited. And obviously, the excitement stems from the fact that I have worked with him before. I have known him for 19 years. And I have seen the kind of films he has been making, whether it is ‘Mulk’ or ‘Article 15’. I have also noticed the kind of choices that Taapsee has been making. And then when I read the script, I was like wow, it was everything I imagined it would be! For me, from day one, it has been about championing this incredible effort. It was about recognising the merit in telling such stories. And the people who are choosing to tell them.

What has the response to ‘Thappad’ been like?

It’s been universal, and there has been gratitude for telling the story. There’s been abundant love for the realism and the nuance in everybody’s portrayal of their parts. There has been gratitude for supporting an issue like this. And also, I think there has been a demand to see more of me (laughs). But I am not sure I will be able to fulfil the last one, because very consciously I have chosen to be a part of narratives that really call out to me. And I don’t think I am going to change that any time soon. But if we make more such projects, yes, you will see more of me.

How do you manage to speak out on so many issues?

When you give yourself access to what is happening in the real world, it helps build your perspective. Everything I have been able to champion for is an inalienable truth. It’s absolutely unimaginable that more of us are unable to make time for these things. But that’s their choice, I am not going to judge. All I know is that it matters so much to me that I make the time, and I know that it is not always easy. But to look at the beauty and splendour of things — it’s an inalienable truth. So, yeah, you make the time. I do it at the cost of not having enough time to do the things that you would otherwise enjoy. I think when you realise what you can do at an individual level and witness the difference you can actually make, then you start drawing strength from that.

Bollywood speaks out on these issues much less than Hollywood, with people like Joaquin Phoenix and Leonardo Dicaprio...

That’s a very unfair assumption. Somebody is doing something at every level now. More people are planting trees. More people are understanding that they should avoid single-use plastics. I would rather celebrate that so many people are doing these things rather than be disappointed that more people are not doing it. There were more climate deniers earlier than now. Now, science is being made evident. We know that the seasons are changing. We know that it’s affecting our agriculture, it’s affecting our livelihood. These are home truths now. We don’t have the privilege or the opportunity anymore to be dismissive or wait for the next generation to act on this. And I think more and more people are recognising that.

What was the foray into the OTT space been like?

It’s a very democratic space. Of course, the writing called out to me. If the show ‘Kaafir’ had not been written the way it was, and did not have the people who were involved in it, I would not have done it. But it’s always going to be about what material calls out to me, and what resonates with me. It could be across mediums. People on OTT platforms can fearlessly tell the stories because there are no box office pressures. And good content is being watched. And that is amazing because there are a lot of good films being released but people don’t watch them. Good content on the web gets watched because it’s such a private and convenient experience. And that is the choice many are making.