I just wasn't ambitious enough: Dia Mirza

They are spunky, they have the requisite zest too, and they have joined hands to paint their creative dreams in myriad hues on silver screen.

Dia Mirza and Zayed Khan can't hide their excitement or the confidence that is mirrored on their faces as they don the producers' hat for their debut production Love Breakups Zindagi. The easy camaraderie, quick banter and warm vibes delighted Team TOI when Dia and Zayed came over to TOI office along with Sahil Sangha, the director of the film, and shared a hot cuppa along with some stimulating conversation...

Love ke liye...
Speaking about Love Breakups Zindagi, Dia says, "I am surprised, sometimes even shocked when I see youngsters around me, who are totally in love with the idea of love, and endorse cliched terms like opposites attract. In our film, we are saying -you need a common ground, similar core values etc., for your relationships to work." Adds Zayed, "The film is speaking the language of the youngsters, and we witnessed this as we met so many college students of Nagpur. The energy, verve and the knowledge they have about so many issues, is truly amazing!"

Candid call!
Despite her looks and talent, Dia didn't get due credit in filmdom. Ask her this and Dia is brutally honest as she admits: "In the very beginning of my career, a journalist wrote in a column that I just couldn't act! And next few years, I went on accepting films that were off beat and unusual, just to prove him wrong! I made some fundamental mistakes and refused some great commercial films, which could have put me in the top banner! Moreover, the crisis in my personal life impacted my professional life."

Starry journey
Speaking about her journey in films, she says, "I just wasn't ambitious enough. You know there's a world of difference between being a star and an actor. If you want to be a star, you have to be focused, determined and very driven. There were times when I felt that what I was offered was just not good enough for me. But today, thankfully, I have a clarity of thought, and I am in a calmer space. Acting, for me is like therapy, the medium is pure and my journey has to be meaningful. My own production house is the beginning of this meaningful journey."

Looking back
As the actress speaks about her journey, Zayed interrupts to say, "Life is full of trials and tribulations. And it's how you rise to the challenges and tackle them - will determine your destiny. I think with Dia the problem was she was just too sincere and honest!" And did this cause harm? They both say almost in unison, "Honesty can never harm you!" Dia adds, "Even in businesses, I wonder why they are all so ego-driven today? Just drop the ego...we're all going to die one day! Five years back, when my step father passed away, it dawned on me that in life, whatever you do, you have only yourself to depend on. So, you owe it to yourself to do something that you are passionate about. And I believe that good things will come in good time." To this Zayed said with a smile, "Sahil, are you listening," referring to the emotional linkup between Sahil and Dia.

Moolah matters
With the talk veering to production, one can tell that Dia is possessed with the idea. She says, "Now that I am working behind the scenes, I can tell you that production is a creative job. Right from deciding the gradient of the film, emotionally charging up people you work with, deciding when to make the soft launch of your film , when to release the theatrical, when to carpet bomb with the promos etc - it's all about creativity, which is a well thought out process."

Instead of taking on all the pressure of acting and production, why didn't they just cast newcomers? To this Sahil says, "It's like choosing to live in a ready-made apartment or building your own home. The latter's tough, but then who said life is easy!"

Friends, fights & full-on fun

As the Dia and Zayed talk excitedly about their film, ask them how difficult it was to be producers as well as the actors, and Dia says, "I can multi-task with ease. Even on the set, I'd pay attention to the minutest details." Zayed adds, "While Dia is great at it, I just switch off the producer button while on the sets. There I am just an actor. But, Dia made shooting a lot of fun because she had arranged for us to attend a 15-day Barry John workshop, and that was the best part of this film. We bonded well with our co-actors and learnt the art of being natural."
Fights galore!

Needless to say, the producers-turned-actors had their fair share of fights too. Zayed reveals, "There were creative clashes galore! But, Dia always had a relevant point, and it was all for the good of the film. And Sahil, being a calm and collected guy, would play the mediator." To this Dia adds with a smirk: "I wish I had fought more!"

Special connect
Both Zayed Khan and Dia Mirza are quite familiar with Nagpur because of their earlier visits. Zayed says, "I have been to Nagpur couple of times, and the last one was around eight to nine years back. I remember it was in mid-summer and it was very hot here. But, this visit was special as we went to colleges and seeing the spirit of the today's young generation is something mind-blowing. It was great interacting with them." At this point, Dia gets emotional and reveals: "I have been to Nagpur quite a few times and one thing that really makes this city very special for me is the fact that my father's close friend Sudeep Mukherjee belongs to this city. I remember visiting Pachmarhi with his family for New Year celebrations and having fun there."

Source: TOI
:)

She has earned enuff to start a low budget movie...