Parineeta was a life-changing film: Dia Mirza

Dia Mirza believes that her web series, Kaafir which released a year back changed the course of her career. "When it came my way, I felt that the wait across all those years when I had said no to work was well worth it. Those who have watched it say that it's my best work till date. That's representative of the fact that it's a part that gave me the opportunity to be someone that I've never been given the chance to be before," she says. The actor-producer shares that her character in the show helped her grow professionally and set a precedent for her upcoming slate of projects.

She elaborates, "The story and the character gave me the opportunity to discover facets of a life that I hadn't been able to explore before. The process enriched my experiences as an artiste and human being. One of the first things that one needs to do in order to essay a part is to be able to empathise with the character and live their experiences. My part in Kaafir took me to spaces that no other part has taken me to."

This month also marks the fifteenth year of Parineeta (2005), which according to Mirza, was "a life-changing film". She shares, "Even back then, I was so desperate to be part of something meaningful and work with a team I could learn from. When Vidhu Vinod Chopra gave me the opportunity to be part of Parineeta, I was so grateful. It was such a wonderful experience. It was the first time that I saw such a great amount of method in the madness."

She says that it's a rather special film as it gave her some "life-long friends". Talking about her equation with Vidya Balan, she says, "I remember the entire process of prepping for the film and actively promoting the film with Sanjay (Dutt) sir and Saif (Ali Khan) as Vidya was kept unrevealed until the release of the film. Vidya and I laugh about it that we've some connection from another lifetime. We've been such integral parts of each other's lives and journeys. There are very special bonds and memories attached to Parineeta."