Dia Mirza opens up on gruelling early career: “Worked 27–28 hours Non-Stop without even a script”

Actor and former Miss Asia Pacific Dia Mirza has revisited the early struggles of her film career, shedding light on the intense working conditions she faced after entering Bollywood in the early 2000s. Her candid recollections offer a stark contrast to today’s ongoing conversations about work-life balance in the film industry.

The discussion around long working hours in cinema resurfaced last year after reports of actors like Deepika Padukone stepping away from high-profile projects such as Spirit and Kalki 2898 AD over scheduling concerns. However, Dia’s experience shows that such concerns are not new and have been part of the industry conversation for decades.

During a recent interaction at her home with filmmaker and choreographer Farah Khan, Dia reflected on her journey from debutant to established actor. Farah, who praised Dia’s performances in films like Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein and Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge, noted that she always carried herself with unusual confidence for a newcomer.

Responding to the conversation, Dia spoke about the lack of structured support in her early days. “People whom you say you launched… I had nothing of that sort,” she said, pointing out that workshops, training sessions, and formal guidance were not part of her introduction into the industry.

The actor further revealed the grueling nature of her schedule, stating that she was simultaneously assigned multiple projects soon after her debut. “I was immediately sent to work on five films at once, working 24 hours a day — 27, 28 hours non-stop,” Dia recalled.

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She also highlighted the informal and often chaotic working style of that era, where scripts were rarely provided in advance. “We never even got a script. They would simply narrate the story over the phone and say, ‘This is going to be a superhit, just do it,’” she added, describing the pressure-driven environment she navigated as a newcomer.

Despite such challenges, Dia Mirza’s debut in Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, eventually earned cult status among audiences, even though it initially struggled at the box office. Her follow-up film Deewaanapan also did not perform commercially, but she continued to build a steady and respected career in the industry.

Today, Dia is preparing for her next major release, the OTT film Ikka, directed by Siddharth P. Malhotra and produced by Alchemy Films. The film explores a high-stakes legal drama involving justice, morality, and loyalty.

The ensemble cast includes Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna, Tillotama Shome, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Shishir Sharma, and Akansha Ranjan Kapoor. Scheduled to premiere on Netflix on July 10, Ikka is expected to showcase Dia in a powerful new avatar, marking another important chapter in her evolving career.

From surviving relentless early schedules to embracing meaningful cinema today, Dia Mirza’s journey stands as a reminder of both the struggles and transformation within Bollywood over the years.