Dia Mirza was one of the guests at the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2024 press conference held in Mumbai on January 24. Speaking at the event the actress opened up about her journey in the Hindi film industry and how OTT played a pivotal role in it. She admitted that she was ‘sitting at home’ when she had to resort to OTT. 

Dia Mirza says opens up about getting Kafir when she was sitting at home 

While speaking at the event, Dia Mirza spoke about how OTT has been a boon to Indian cinema. She even recalled a time in her career when she was not getting any work and the digital platforms came to her rescue. She noted, “When Kaafir was offered to me, at that time I was actually sitting at home and I was not getting any work in films. But I'm glad it came to me and I decided to do it as it's one of the best stories that I've been a part of. It's one of the most nuanced characters that I have been able to portray.” 

Talking about the challenges that OTT overcomes, the actress stated, “When it comes to theatrical releases, very few films can be made because there are too many permutations and combinations, too many stresses and pressures. But with OTT, the system has opened up, and it has given a lot of opportunities to a lot of people, including myself. Directors, editors, cinematographers, actors, everyone gets the opportunity to come forward and showcase their art.” She further shared that OTT is ‘democratising’ the system of storytelling. She stated that it is the audience who decides what they want to watch. 

Dia Mirza says it took 150 years to make a film like Dhak Dhak 

At the same event, Dia Mirza also shared that her journey in the industry resonates with the journey of cinema itself. She cited the example of her recent film Dhak Dhak which was led by four women and compared it to her debut film Rehnna Hai Tere Dil Mein wherein there was hardly any women on the set. She recalled, “When Dhak Dhak released last year, I had said that it took us 150 years to make a film that was led by four women, belonging to different age groups, who were telling their stories. It was about defeating our fears and stepping out of our shells to taste real freedom. My journey over the last 23 years has been very similar to the story of Dhak Dhak. When I made my debut with RHTDM, there used to be very few women on the sets as it was majorly populated and run by men, but today, there are many more women on our film sets, working across various departments, and that is really an achievement for the society.”