'We are celebrating jingoism': Dia Mirza compares criticism for her series IC 814 to praise for Dhurandhar

Diya Mirza, in an appearance on the 'The Namrata Zakaria Show', said that her show was called out for humanising all the characters.

Dhurandhar: The Revenge is continuing its record-breaking run at the global box office. However, the Aditya Dhar directorial is stirring up several controversies along the way.

From receiving backlash from Sikh community to Vishal Dadlani seemingly taking an indirect dig at the film, there's a lot happening.

Now, actress Diya Mirza, in an appearance on the The Namrata Zakaria Show has compared the criticism for her series IC814: The Kandahar Hijack to the praise received by Dhurandhar: The Revenge and called it "jingoism".

During the interview, the host described the theme of the film as "chest-thumping" while noting that IC 814 took a more restrained, nuanced approach, which was called out on social media.

To this, Dia responded, “The show was called out for humanising all the characters, including the terrorists. I guess it is because we are celebrating jingoism too much now. We adore it. There is a trend to enjoy and celebrate jingoism, which our show is not. I don’t regret it. It has such a balanced view and gives people the opportunity to see each side the way it was."

She also highlighted that, as artists, it is important to be vocal and use the craft to improve lives.

She said, “I think it is very important to be vocal as artistes. I am a big Shabana Azmi bhakt, and I follow her message that if art is not utilised to improve the lives of others, then what is the point of art? So yes, I am political, and I have a stand. And yes, I will convey that through the choices I make in the stories I tell. It is not easy. We are trolled regularly. Beyond that, there is all kinds of intimidation because if you are not toeing the line and not in agreement with what larger forces expect, then it is not easy."

IC 814 was released in 2024 starring Vijay Varma, Dia Mirza, Naseeruddin Shah and Pankaj Kapur. The crime thriller mini series directed by Anubhav Sinha is based on the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 in 1999 by five men after it took off from Kathmandu.

The series sparked huge controversy on social media where people called for a ban on it.

As for Dhurandhar 2, the film is continuing its winning streak at the box office as it crosses Rs 1200 crore globally.