Dia Mirza on Bheed: ‘Ageism is something we all have suffered from in Bollywood’

In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, actress Dia Mirza opens up about why she lives to be a part of director Anubhav Sinha’s films. She believes that films are a very powerful medium for social change. She mentions that the representation of women in Indian cinema is abysmal and is less than ten percent. Dia feels compelled to be a part of stories that have a purpose.

The Bheed and Thappad actress says that in so-called mainstream cinema, heroes still insist on being cast opposite younger actors, that condition is still prevalent. Talking about her films she says that the thing about art is that when it is made with good intentions, it does find an audience.

 Edited excerpts from the interview:

You have been doing so many socially relevant stories, is it a conscious effort from your side? 

Yes, films are a very powerful medium for social change. It can truly make an impact and bring a change in the society. Be it Kaafir or Thappad or even the part that I played in Sanju, I first have to resonate with the character or the story, and that it stands for something. After being a part of the film industry for more than two decades, I now feel more compelled to be a part of stories that have a purpose.

When you were prepping for Bheed, what was going through your mind?

Honestly, the craft of the storytelling is so nuanced and so heart wrenching that all we needed to do was know the story well for the preparation. The world we see in the film is so recent, we watched all of it on social media. We were haunted by it and deeply compelled, that’s why we decided to be a part of this story, and tell this very important story to our viewers. And stand by this powerful voice that Anubhav Sinha has found. As a character, what I found interesting about this role that I was playing was that she was privileged, she was empowered, and you discovered her sense of entitlement. You also discover the fact that she lacks empathy and you sense that this wouldn’t be my inherent response to a situation. I had to abandon my conscience and surrender to the character. So that was very interesting because more often than not I play parts that immediately resonate and recognize as true to being myself. This character was not true to me, what I am as a person, and it was very important not to judge me for it.

Bheed is your fourth film with Anubhav Sinha, what’s the comfort level you have while working with him?

We are very much in sync as people, in terms of what we stand for. I deeply respect his humanity and his voice. He has also found his calling and his voice, and he’s using his craft of cinema to make a difference. And he’s doing it very well. The Anubhav Sinha I started working with two decades ago was the same person, but he hadn’t chosen to use his voice back then the way he uses it today. I did some early music videos and films with him. They were like your commercial films that had no impact on society.

After I saw Mulk, I was like wow, there’s a huge shift in his voice, this is the filmmaker I want to be working with. I finally got a chance to work with him in Thappad and I was like I don’t mind being an inanimate object as well. I told him to cast me as a table or a chair, I don’t care, I want to be a part of your voice. I will wholeheartedly support what you stand for. When he called me for Bheed, I was truly honored to be a part of it. I was like this is fantastic. All my repertoire of work is the two films made by him that I feel truly proud of.

What do you have to say about the evolution of cinema and the roles of women changing?

We both know the representation of women in Indian cinema is abysmal, it is less than 10 percent. Today, things are changing and abysmal times are changing. We are definitely getting better in terms of representation. If you think about films like Thappad and what a male filmmaker like Anubhav Sinha did with a subject like patriarchy, he did show that gender can be celebrated and focused on even from the lenses of a man. It’s not necessary that only women should be able to tell women stories. Having said that, it does make a difference when you have a wider representation.

Ageism is something we all have suffered from. When we talk about the so-called mainstream cinema or the so-called salable male counterparts who still insist on being cast opposite younger actors, that condition is still prevalent. Thankfully, there are people now who are willing to invest in women over their 40s. That only happened because there are truly some fantastic performers who are just wanting to be a part of good stories, be it Radhika Apte or Tillotama Shome or Shefali Shah or Richa Chadha. These are not actors in their 20s anymore. They are just artists doing good work. I got to be a part of a show like Kaafir when I was 38. It was such a beautifully written show that gave me the opportunity to invest my heart and soul in it. I don’t think an opportunity like this would have come along had it not been for OTT. OTT has opened up much more opportunities for women than mainstream cinema.

On being a woman producer…

I started producing movies when I was 26. I was told I would not get acting jobs if I became a producer. I was told it was not a woman’s job., it was a man’s job. There are too many levels of hierarchy one has to deal with and ego and finances. Some of it is actually true, it’s actually very hard. It’s a very difficult process of taking the film from the script stage to the audiences. It’s a tough ride, but it is also very gratifying. I would like to continue producing more films. I am one of those who has done things at my pace and my time. I have never felt the need to churn out X number of projects. It is very nice to see more and more female actors turn producers, taking such active and participative interest in the job. It is very difficult when you are an actor and a producer, it is a very hard job, but it is also a very deeply gratifying job.

How much does box-office matter to you?

It’s wonderful to be a part of a well- watched and loved film. When you do a film like Sanju and it goes on to make some 500 crores, it does feel good. It feels happy to be a part of a film that has been watched so widely. But also, my first film Rehna Hai Terre Dil Mein was a box-office dud, it was also panned by critics, and today it has gone on to become a cult film. It has found its audience and its resonance. It has its flaws but it’s also a much loved film. The thing about art is that when it is made with good intentions, it does find an audience.

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