Dia Mirza says Kaafir altered her: Taught me the value of being fearless

India Today

24-04-2025

Actor Dia Mirza was amused when Zee5 decided to rehash her web series 'Kaafir' as a film. Interestingly, the script, written by Bhavini Iyer, was originally conceived as a film before evolving into a series. In an exclusive chat with India Today Digital, Dia opened up about her experience working on 'Kaafir,' saying it changed her life. She also spoke about the importance of asking the right questions and the increased media scrutiny faced by actors.Speaking about 'Kaafir' coming back to audiences after almost six years as a film, Dia said she feels the project has now come full circle. "I think Bhavini must be smiling to herself. This is a great opportunity for audiences who missed watching the show then; this film will take them back. People keep tagging me on heartwarming write-ups and reels as they discovered the film. I am hoping they will now want to watch the series too," she shared.The actor added that this development proves that good content is medium agnostic. Dia recalled asking the writer about reworking a film script into a series, to which Bhavini said that she was 'dancing with joy' in her heart. She added, "Bhavini got an opportunity to expand on the layers, something that would have been restricted by a shorter format. But honestly, if stories are truly well written, they are platform and medium agnostic."Dia Mirza went on to recall her experience working on the show, stating that it was a long journey, as close to shooting three feature films. And while the mountainous locales made it a challenging and gruelling experience for her. "But every day was like the biggest high, as we were so emotionally connected to it. I loved every moment of being there, and it was the best time. The openness of the ice-capped mountains, the apricot trees and little children or the quiet birdsong, everything made it a memorable experience," she said. The actor added that on a personal note, the character altered her forever, as she said, "It taught me something very powerful, the value of being fearless. The only way to achieve autonomy is to become free of all fears. That none of my choices need to be guided by fear. And that freedom, it changes everything, about how I want to live, how I want to bring up my child, and the voice that I want to have in this world."advertisementWhen asked about how challenging it is to have a voice in present circumstances, the actor said, "What I say comes from a place of truth and a defined sense of purpose. "If what you are saying, and why you are saying it comes from an honest place, what is there to fear? Even in the face of hate, threat, or noise, what you say comes from a place of love, that is all. I think Kaafir is exactly like this too."The actor also added that there is far more scrutiny now because of social media and more public being involved in what's happening in the film industry. "Also, look at the number of platforms, from Reddit to whatnot. I sometimes wonder kitna samay hai logon ko paas (how much time do people have). They go ahead and find things from the past and discuss them at length. Why don't they ask why we don't have clean air or why our roads are so bad? Why are the forests being vanquished or why don't we have healthier environments? We should be asking questions that truly matter."Must Watch