Actress and former Miss Asia Pacific International, Dia Mirza, recently reflected on the pressures she faced during the early years of her career, particularly the constant comparisons with former Miss World, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. In an interview with Zoom, Mirza shared how these comparisons and beauty standards of the time affected her self-image and career choices.
Struggles With Beauty Standards
Dia Mirza, who gained prominence with Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein (2001), began her career through beauty pageants, winning the Femina Miss India and Miss Asia Pacific International titles. Despite her accolades, she admitted feeling uncomfortable with her appearance during her initial films.
“For the first three to four 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,” she stated.
Mirza explained that the early 2000s had rigid beauty norms, prompting her to adopt features like light-colored lenses, which she later realized was a mistake.
Comparison With Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Given her journey from pageantry to films, Dia Mirza was often compared to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. While she initially considered it a compliment, she later understood the challenges it brought.
“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,” she said.
Financial Struggles in Early Career
Mirza also shed light on the financial hardships she and fellow beauty queen Lara Dutta faced after their pageant wins. She recalled surviving on instant noodles due to financial constraints.
“We shared Wai Wai noodles because paise nahi the (we had no money). Lara and I modeled and saved that money. Neither of us used any money from our parents to do anything. Even in Priyanka’s situation, she had solid support, and her parents were very involved, but with us, we just had what we had earned and saved,” she revealed.
Dia Mirza’s Career So Far
From modeling to Bollywood, Dia Mirza has built an illustrious career. After her debut in Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, she appeared in films like Parineeta, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Sanju, and Thappad. Most recently, she was seen in Nadaaniyan, featuring Ibrahim Ali Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Mahima Chaudhry, and Suniel Shetty.
While Mirza has successfully carved a space for herself in the industry, her journey underscores the challenges many women face in entertainment—from unrealistic beauty standards to financial struggles.