Meet actress, former beauty queen, who ran away from home at 5, became superstar after debut film, wore light-coloured lenses to match Aishwarya Rai’s beauty due to..

Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein from 2001 did not do well at the box office, but it made Dia Mirza a star. Before entering Bollywood, Dia Mirza also won the Miss Asia Pacific International title in 2000. The actress, in her career so far, has worked with superstars like R Madhavan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Ranbir Kapoor, however, you will be surprised to know that despite her beauty and grace, Dia Mirza felt disgusted by how she looked in her early films, especially due to constant comparisons with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. 

In a recent interview with Zoom, Dia Mirza shared that though it was flattering to be compared to Aishwarya Rai at just 19, it did add a lot of pressure on her. “When I started out as an actor, there was a lot of comparison with former beauty queens, especially Aishwarya Rai. It was, of course, a huge compliment at the age of 19 because I was just starting out. Having said that, it was also a very dangerous trend,” Dia Mirza said. 

Dia Mirza further stated, “For the first 3-4 years of my career, I wore light-coloured lenses in all my films. It was ridiculous because I was desperately trying to conform to their idea of beauty. It was also bizarre that despite having won an international beauty title, I was not comfortable with who I was.”

Dia Mirza is now a successful actress and is often seen playing meaty roles in films with grace and dignity. She was last seen in Ibrahim Ali Khan’s debut film Nadaaniyan and the web series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack in 2024. 

Born to a Bengali mother and a German father, Dia Mirza uses her stepfather’s last name as her own. Reports state that when the actress was just 5 years old, she left her home after a fight with her father. However, soon, the father and daughter duo resolved their issues and all was well again. 

Dia Mirza was only four-and-a-half years old when her parents got divorced. Her mother then married Ahmed Mirza, a Muslim man from Hyderabad. Dia Mirza later adopted her stepfather’s surname. He died in 2004.

Many are also unaware that before entering Bollywood, Dia Mirza worked as a marketing executive in a media firm, for which she was given a salary of Rs 5,000.

Dia Mirza is married to businessman Vaibhav Rekhi. In July 2021, the couple also welcomed their baby boy Avyaan Azaad Rekhi. Dia Mirza also has a step-daughter, Samaira Rekhi from Vaibhav Rekhi’s first marriage. Before Vaibhav Rekhi, Dia Mirza was married to Sahil Sangha.

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