Dia Mirza celebrates 25 years in cinema, reflects on her journey and the people who shaped her career

Actress Dia Mirza is celebrating a remarkable milestone this year as she completes 25 years in the Indian film industry. She marks this achievement during one of the busiest phases of her career, with multiple film projects highlighting her continued presence in Bollywood.

Recently, Dia appeared alongside Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna in the film Aka. She also has a special cameo appearance opposite Anil Kapoor in Alpha, starring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari. Despite being a brief role, Dia described the opportunity to share the screen with Anil Kapoor as a deeply meaningful experience that brought her cinematic journey full circle.

The 44-year-old actress revealed that Anil Kapoor was the person who first encouraged her to pursue a career in films. Reflecting on the early days of her career, Dia shared that she met Kapoor shortly after participating in the Asia Pacific beauty pageant. At the time, she had not seriously considered acting as a profession.

According to Dia, Anil Kapoor and veteran actor Anupam Kher were working on a film and strongly believed she had the potential to become an actress. Their confidence in her abilities played a significant role in shaping her future. She recalled that both Kapoor and Kher encouraged her to enter the film industry and were instrumental in helping her secure her first movie. Their support gave her the confidence to take the leap into acting, ultimately launching a successful career that has now spanned a quarter of a century.

Speaking about her role in Alpha, Dia described working with Anil Kapoor after 25 years as an emotional and unforgettable experience. She remembered meeting him for the first time in the lobby of a hotel in Hyderabad shortly after the beauty pageant. During that meeting, Kapoor had offered words of encouragement that stayed with her throughout her career. He told her that she was beautiful, carried herself with grace, and would look wonderful on screen. He also expressed his belief that she should become an actress. Looking back, Dia considers those words to have been a turning point in her life, making their reunion on screen all these years later especially meaningful.

Dia also praised her Aka co-stars, Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna. She described Sunny Deol as an exceptionally kind and humble individual, appreciating his warmth and professionalism on set. Speaking about Akshaye Khanna, Dia revealed that they had almost worked together in the past, but the opportunity never materialized.

She shared that she had previously acted alongside Akshaye’s father, the late Vinod Khanna, with whom she developed a close and special bond. Dia also knows Akshaye’s brother, Rahul Khanna, personally. She disclosed that she had once approached Akshaye for a film she was producing, hoping they could collaborate. However, despite their mutual interest, the project did not move forward, and the collaboration never came to fruition.

As Dia Mirza celebrates 25 successful years in cinema, her reflections highlight the importance of mentorship, encouragement, and lasting professional relationships. Her journey serves as a testament to perseverance, talent, and the impact of those who believe in an artist’s potential from the very beginning.