‘Painting is meditative’

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Resplendent in a red and royal blue anarkali and armed with her enrapturing smile, Dia Mirza was in the city to unveil ‘Gift of Life’, an inspirational painting made by her on the occasion of Diwali.

When we caught up with her, she appeared unfazed by the jostling crowd that had gathered to catch her glimpse. Talking about her painting, she says, “This is my first commissioned painting. As I was given a particular theme, I decided to paint a diya along with natural motifs to suit the festive spirit.” The painting was commissioned by Body Shop to raise funds for an NGO that works for the cause of human rights.
Has painting always been her passion? “I usually like painting within the precincts of my room to relax myself. Painting is almost meditative for me. There is no set technique that I follow. But usually I paint in gouache, a water-based medium. My paintings always have an element of fantasy merged with reality.”
Asked about her inspiration, she says, “I have always sought inspiration from my father. He was a great painter, graphic artist, photographer and architect. With him around, I had a creatively charged environment at home.”
Diverting from her painting pursuits, Dia tells us about her recent venture into arty Bengali cinema with Panch Adhyay (five chapters), “It is a beautiful romantic drama and I thoroughly enjoyed working for it. Even though this is a Bengali film, I believe the language of cinema is universal and I hope this film crosses all borders.”
She also informs us that post Love Breakups Zindagi, which was produced by Dia’s production house Born Free Entertainment, she is working on four scripts in different genres including a thriller, a drama and a coming-of-age story. “Donning a producer’s hat gives so much creative freedom. One is involved in each and every aspect of a film. We literally nurture various departments to create a beautiful product.”
In December, Dia will cross the much-hyped 30 threshold for actresses. But she continues to radiate a positive glow. To this she says, “I don’t really have a beauty regime! I have never really indulged in facials except once, when someone suggested it to me. I just cleanse and moisturise daily, that’s it. Apart from that, I just try and stay happy and positive. That probably reflects on my face.”
Finally, we ask her whether she would like to move out of the cineworld ever and take her entrepreneurial streak to any other domain. She says, “Absolutely not! I love cinema as a medium. It provides the opportunity to make a difference amongst a large section of population. I can’t visualise myself anywhere else.”