DIYA MIRZA
"I Always Wanted To Be A Lawyer"

After Tumko Na Bhool Payenge saw her in a new light as the village belle with typical Indian looks, Diya Mirza awaits another opportunity when her talents will come to light yet again.

We catch up with her and get her talking… Excerpts…

Why did you choose your role in Tumko Na Bhool Payenge?
This role was very different from my other roles. It gave me an opportunity to handle serious and lighter topics. The look was also very different. I am a Thakur’s daughter, but not a typical gaon ki chori. She is educated and can speak English and knows what is happening outside. It is a very realistic picture of the daughters of Thakurs in Rajasthan today who are pretty much aware of what is happening outside.

How was it working with the unit?
I am very happy with this role and fit into the story perfectly and had a ball with my costars. I was pampered on the sets, because I am the youngest one in the entire unit. Everywhere that is the case. And I love being pampered as long as it does not affect my work.

You have worked with Salman Khan in Tumko Na Bhool Payenge. How was the experience?~
I was always told that he is a difficult person to work with. I had heard so many stories about him and his co-stars. But when I started working with him he was so different. He is a great guy.

What went wrong with Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein and Deewanapan?
Some good scenes of mine were cut and never used in the film. I did not look the character I was playing, and that as the reason why the film did not do as well. But they have been learning experiences.

How do you react when people say that you look like Aishwarya Rai?
It is nice and flattering. Aishwarya is so beautiful. Probably we have a similar jawline and hence the comparison. But then, I would always like to be known as Diya Mirza.

It is said that you charge an exorbitant amount for every film you do, despite giving two flops?
No baba. It is just gossip again. I even read somewhere that I charge around Rs 75 lakh per film.

The easiest way to stardom seems through Miss India pageants…
See, I do not want to comment on others, but for me, it has been good. I did not want to be an actress to start of with. I wanted to be a lawyer. It is just that I was offered a role in Om Jai Jagdish and films started coming in later after I shifted to Mumbai from Hyderabad after winning the Miss Asia-Pacific title. I had asked Pradeep Guha whether I should accept the film and he said that I should.

The question still remains. How helpful are these Miss India events for aspiring actresses?
See, once you become a known face, it is easier for the producer or director to cast you rather than a totally unknown face. That is one help that the makers get which makes their project financially more viable.

Is Pradeep Guha your godfather?
No. He is just a good friend who knows a lot about the industry and has given me advice when I have asked him for it.

Was Vashu Bhagnani your Godfather then?
No. He is a good producer and a good businessman. He liked the actress in me and asked me to work. Period.

Why did you walk out of Vashu Bhagnani’s Om Jai Jagdish?
The director Anupam Kher and producer had some different plans and I walked out of the film. Anyway, I have had two releases and some good films coming up. Vashuji has given me two good films and I am thankful to him for what he did.

What was the first piece of gossip that you read about yourself?
This was one where I had been linked to Vashuji (Bhagnani). I was shocked. I cried a lot, but then realised that people will write what they want. He had just signed me for three films and the grapevine was abuzz with such news. So the next time when I was linked to Salman Khan primarily because it is said that I look like Aishwarya Rai, I laughed it out. Now I have also been linked to Arjun Rampal.

How do your parents react to gossip about you?
My parents know me quite well. They understand that I have my head on my shoulder. Only someone who does not know me will react to such gossip written about me.

How close are you to your parents?
My mother Deepa and father Hamid have been great inspirations for me. My mother is more like friend. We share everything that happens with us.