Actress, model, producer, and beauty queen Dia Mirza first came to the public’s attention back in 2000 when she claimed the Miss Asia Pacific crown. The following year, she took her first strides in acting, appearing in the cult hit Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein. Since then, she’s become as well known for her philanthropy as she has her professional career, representing numerous good causes and proving her environmentalist credentials on an almost daily basis. Earlier this month, she made news headlines after announcing her split from her husband of 11 years, Sahil Sangha. Despite both parties claiming the split was mutual, the press has been quick to speculate about the true reason behind the divorce. To find out more, keep reading.
1. She’s a multi-award winner
Since starting her career, Mirza has been honored with numerous awards. Her list of accolades dates all the way back to 2002, when she earned a clutch of trophies and nominations (including a Zee Cine Award for Best Debut, a Bollywood movie award for Best Debut Newcomer, a Screen Awards for Most Promising Female Newcomer and a Popular Award for the Best Debut) for her work in Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein. In 2012, she added to her collection with a Jaipur Internatio kisser of the world for Best Actress award for her performance in Paanch Adhyay.
2. She developed her love of acting at school
While growing up in Khairatabad, Hyderabad city, Mirza attended Nasr School, a renowned girls school she’s since credited with inspiring her decision to pursue a career in acing. Amongst its departments, the school boasted a Dramatic Society, and it was here that the young Mirza discovered her love of performing, along with the confidence needed to pursue her dreams.
3. She started modeling at college
After graduating from Nasr School, Mirza enrolled in Stanley Junior College. While studying, she began to audition for modeling gigs and soon found work in commercials for such big-name brands as Lipton, Wall’s ice cream, and Emami. Inspired by her success, she began entering beauty pageants. After coming second runner up at Femina Miss India, she earned the prestigious title of Miss Asia Pacific in 2000, becoming the first Indian to win the title in 27 years. In addition to Miss Asia Pacific, she’s also won crowns at Miss Beautiful Smile, Miss Avon and Miss Close-Up Smile in Miss India.
4. She made her film debut in Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein
Following on from winning the Miss Asia Pacific title, Mirza made her film debut in the 2001 Bollywood feature, Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein. While the film flopped at the box office, it earned Mirza a slew of nominations and awards (including a prestigious Zee Cine Award for Best Debut) and has since gone on to become a cult favorite. Since her debut, Mirza has added numerous films to her list of credits, including Dum, Deewanapan, Tumsa Nahin Dekha — A Love Story, Lage Raho Munnabhai Parineeta, Dus, and Salam Mumbai. 2018 saw her appear in her biggest role to date as Sanjay Dutt’s wife Mayata Dutt in Sanju. The film has since gone on to become one of the highest-grossing Indian films ever released.
5. She’s made a web series
2019 is set to be a big year for Mirza as she makes her first strides in the ever-growing market of web TV. Her web debut came with the ZEE5 web series, Kaafir, a series set in Kashmir which pitches Mirza’s acting talents against those of Mohit Raina. The talented actress is also proving her worth behind the lens with Mind the Malhotras, an Amazon Prime Video web sitcom starring Cyrus Sahukar and Mini Mathur in the lead roles. The series is the fourth original series from India that Amazon Prime Video has showcased in 2019; others include the comedy-drama Four More Shots Please!, the wedding planner drama Made in Heaven and the second season of Laakhon Mein Ek.
6. She’s known for her philanthropy
In recent years, Mirza has become as well known for her philanthropy as she is for her modeling and acting. In addition to her involvement with causes such as Cancer Patients Aid Association and Spastics Society of India, she’s worked extensively with environmental organizations such as NDTV Greenathon. Unfortunately, her efforts haven’t always been appreciated: when she announced her support for Narmada Bachao Andolan, a group focused on stopping the building of a new dam, members of the Bharatiya Janata Party were so riled they publicly damned the actress and led a protest march against her.
7. She’s won awards for her environmentalism
The Bharatiya Janata Partymay not be taken with Mirza’s involvement in environmental causes, but that hasn’t stopped her winning awards for her efforts. In 2012, she was awarded the Green Award at IIFA for helping raise awareness of environmental issues, while in 2017, she was named both the Green Crusader of the Year at IAA – India Chapter Olive Crown Awards and the “Valerian Of Environmental Issues” by the makers of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. In addition to her awards, Mirza has also won the honor of being named eco-ambassador for Panasonic and the UN Environment’s Goodwill Ambassador for India.
8. Her most priceless possession is a photograph of her parents
Mirza’s birth parents, Frank (a German graphic designer and architect), and Deepa (a Bengali-born interior designer), separated when Mirza was four and a half years old. Her mother later remarried Ahmed Mirza (from whom the actress takes her name). As she recently revealed to the Mumbai Mirror, her most priceless possession is the one photograph of her biological parents that remains from her childhood. “I have only one photograph of myself as a baby with my mother and my father. It’s precious. I can’t think of too many people having just one picture with both their parents. It is my most priceless possession. That is my favorite throwback.”
9. She won’t drag another woman’s name through the mud
Following news of Mirza’s separation from her husband of 11 years, Sahil Sangha, gossip quickly began to circulate about whether another woman (namely Judgementall Hai Kya screenwriter Kanika Dhillon) was at the heart of the split. Mirza has been quick to address the claims, taking to Twitter to rubbish the allegations. “As a woman, I will not stand for another woman’s name being used so irresponsibly to perpetuate a lie,” she said, before going on to confirm that no third party was involved in the spilt, and requesting the media allow the couple some privacy.
10. Her father was her hero
Despite her parent’s separation, Mirza’s biological father was a huge influence on her life, as she revealed to the Times of India. “He was my hero. He was everything that I could hope any man to be. He was incredible in communicating with me and was so creative and inventive. I know of parents flying kites with their kids, but he would actually make the kites and then fly them with me.”
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