Former Miss Asia Pacific and actress Dia Mirza, known for her simplicity and excellent acting in Bollywood, has recently revealed a very uncomfortable experience in her early career. Behind the glamor of the glamor industry, there are often many bitter truths hidden which new artists have to face. Dia Mirza told that in the initial phase of her career, when she was entering the world of modeling and advertisements, there was a severe lack of basic facilities and safe environment for women. During the shooting of an advertisement, she faced a situation which she has not been able to forget till date.
Recalling the incident, Dia Mirza said that she was shooting for a big commercial ad. The shoot was going on at an outdoor location and there were more than 100 male crew members present on the set. In that era, there was no special culture of vanity van or separate changing room like today. When the director asked her to change her costume immediately, there was no private space available. Under compulsion, some female crew members made a crude cover of sheets and towels, standing behind which they had to change their clothes in the open. According to the actress, it was very scary and humiliating for her to feel so unsafe and helpless in the presence of hundreds of people at that time.
Dia Mirza admitted that the moment remained etched in her mind forever. She said that at that time she was very young and was struggling to make her place in the industry. Many times new artists feel that if they demand basic facilities or respect, they will be removed from work or considered picky. Due to this pressure, she remained silent at that time, but that incident deeply hurt her self-esteem. The actress clarified that as attractive as the glamor world looks from outside, it has been a long battle for women artistes to gain respect and safety at the basic level.
Through this revelation, Dia Mirza has raised serious questions regarding the working conditions of women in the film and modeling industry. He underlined that the situation has improved significantly in the last two decades. Today, it is mandatory to follow vanity van, secure washroom, private green room and women's safety protocol on the sets. However, she believes that even today, in independent and small budget projects, women artistes and women technicians have to struggle for basic respect and privacy, which needs to be eliminated completely.
Dia Mirza, who made India proud by winning the crown of 'Miss Asia Pacific' in the year 2000, made a great debut in Bollywood with the film 'Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein' (2001). After this, he won the hearts of the audience with his strong acting in many popular films like 'Dum', 'Lage Raho Munna Bhai', 'Sanju' and 'Thappad'. Apart from films, Dia Mirza has also been continuously speaking openly on the issues of environmental protection and women empowerment as the Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).