Dia Mirza: In my 20s, didn’t imagine having a career between the age 35-45 | Exclusive
In an exclusive chat with IndiaToday.in, actress Dia Mirza discusses the paradox of ageism in Indian cinema, pointing out older male actors often play much younger roles while women, after a certain age, struggle to find work. She revealed why she felt she might not have a career as an actor at a certain age.
In Short
- Dia Mirza is gearing up for the release of her new film ‘Dhak Dhak’.
- Dia highlighted the longstanding ageism in the industry and how women have typically been assigned to older roles earlier in their careers, whilst men in their 60s often play characters in their 30s.
- Reflecting on her career, Dia noted she didn't imagine having a career between ages 35-45 when she was younger.
Dia Mirza will next be seen playing one of the most defining roles in ‘Dhak Dhak’. The film releases in theatres on October 13. Ahead of the release, in an exclusive chat with IndiaToday.in, the actress opened up on how, with time, women are finally finding a voice in scripts and age-appropriate roles are being offered.
MEN IN 60S CONTINUE TO PLAY 30-YEAR-OLDS
When IndiaToday.in mentioned age-appropriate roles being written, Dia said, “But that is mostly for women. We only have men in their 60s playing 30 year-olds all the time.” She explained why earlier, there was a ‘shelf life’ attached to actresses. “So what happened is they stopped working for a decade or more. And then they came back and worked in much older parts, if they so chose to continue,” Dia stressed.
WITHIN CASTING AS WELL, THERE’S AGEISM
In films or series, we have seen younger actresses play older roles. Be it Shefali Shah in ‘Waqt: The Race Against Time’ or the most recent Ridhi Dogra in ‘Jawan’. To this, Dia shared, “That's actually very interesting that you bring it up. I was thinking about it last night. You're damn right. Women, most often when they're young, have played parts much older than their age. Because even within that casting, there's ageism. Right? And, then those same women, when they get into the age that they played, suddenly find themselves out of work. It's terrifying.”
IN MY 20s, I DID NOT THINK I WOULD HAVE A CAREER BETWEEN AGE 35-45
She explained why, in her 20s, she felt she wouldn’t have a career at a certain age. “I think that a lot of young actresses, myself included, when I was in my 20s I didn't imagine that I would have a career between ages 35 and 45. I thought if I had to, like to continue to passionately pursue the craft, and I want to be in film, and maybe I'll get more parts when I'm older. But it's changed and it's changing,” Dia asserted.
She credited Tabu for the change. Dia praised Tabu and said, “It gives me so much joy to watch Tabu. I feel she has been a torchbearer in this shift because she's worked consistently throughout her life. And she's made many women recognize the fact that once an actor, always an actor, once an artist, an artist for life. So, as long as you are willing to evolve through and improve your skills and keep growing as an individual, you will find work.”
‘Dhak Dhak’ stars Ratna Pathak Shah, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanjana Sanghi in pivotal roles.