CAPTION: Dia Mirza
Beauty pageant titleholderDia Mirza still8e.jpgBorn Dia Handrich(1981-12-09) 9 December 1981 (age 32)Hyderabad, IndiaResidence Mumbai, IndiaOccupation Model, Actress, Film ProducerYears active 2000-presentHeight 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)Title(s) Miss Asia Pacific 2000Femina Miss India Asia Pacific 2000Majorcompetition(s) Femina Miss India 2000(Femina Miss India Asia Pacific 2000)(Miss Beautiful Smile)Miss Asia Pacific 2000(Winner)(Miss Close-Up Smile)(Miss AVON)Spouse Sahil Sangha
Dia Mirza (born as Dia Handrich on 9 December 1981) is an Indianmodel, actress and producer, who won the 2000 MissAsia Pacific International title. Mirza has primarily worked inBollywood, and is known in media for her social work. She co-ownsa production house Born Free Entertainment along with SahilSangha. Their first film, Love Breakups Zindagi,made under the banner was released on 7 October 2011.
Personal life and education
Dia Mirza grace Kallista Spa opening January, 2014
Dia Mirza was born in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. Her father,Frank Handrich, was a German graphic and industrial fair designer,architect, artist and interior designer from Munich and hermother, Deepa is a Bengali Hindu who is an interior designer,landscaper and currently does social work as a volunteer to helpalcoholics and addicts. They separated when she was four yearsold. Her father died when she was nine and her mother marriedAhmed Mirza, who died in 2003. Whether she is a Muslim or notcarries ambiguity. She adopted her mother's surname and hasrecently adopted the last name of her birth-father, becoming Dia MirzaHandrich.
Biography
Dia Mirza worked when still in college as a Marketing executive for amedia firm. At the same time she modeled for print and TVcommercials for brands like Lipton, Walls Ice Cream, Emami andmany more. She won Miss Asia Pacific in the year 2000. Shedebuted through 'Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein' which could not dowell at Box Office. Then she appeared in various movies like'Dum', 'Deewanapan', 'Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge', 'TumsaNahin Dekha - A Love Story', 'Parineeta', 'Dus', 'LageRaho Munnabhai' etc. She did not see much success as an Actress.But she has garnered a lot of praise for her social work. She has alsogot an IIFA 2012 Green Award for her contribution towards greenenvironment. She has done various awareness campaigns on prevention offemale feticide, HIV awareness, the Cancer Patients AidAssociation, PETA, ADAPT, CRY. She also publicly supported theNaramada Bachao Andolan. She has also written articles forHindustan Times and other publications.
Dia started working at the age of 16 years while continuing hercollege education. She worked as a marketing executive in amulti-media firm called Dr. Neeraj's Multi media studio. Shesimultaneously modelled for the print and television advertisementcampaigns of various brands such as Walls, Lipton, Emami etc.Mirza wanted to complete her graduation in Arts by correspondence, butdecided to postpone it as it was becoming difficult to juggle betweenthe Miss Asia Pacific competition, modeling assignments, travellingand training. She could not complete her graduation due to being busyat work.
Dia is going to marry Sahil Sangha on 18 October 2014 atDelhi.
Dia Mirza made her cinematic debut with Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Meinopposite R. Madhavan, which is still remembered as one of the mostromantic movies of all time. Later, she appeared in Parineeta, aVidhu Vinod Chopra production. After her acting skills baggedlimelight, she became a part of some of the biggest blockbusters. In2012, Mirza tried her luck into regional cinema with Bengali FilmmakerPratim Dasgupta's Paanch Adhyay. The movie turned out tobe a success and was also selected by various Film Festivals withinIndia and across the world.
She also appeared in the films Dus and Fight Club. She was theonly female actor among the six key characters in the film, AcidFactory in which she played a femme fatale who is also a gangster butthe film was a failure. Dia will next be featuring in JohnyMastana, Bits and pieces, Kayanat, Bidhaatar lekha and Familywala.
Titles
Dia Mirza at the IIFA Rocks fashion show
Dia Mirza was a second runner up at Femina Miss India, 2000 andwas subsequently sent to Miss Asia Pacific, where she won. When shewon the Miss Asia Pacific title on 3 December 2000 in Manila,Philippines, she became the first Indian contestant to win thistitle in 29 years. She completed the hat-trick of Indiawinning international pageants in the year 2000; Lara Dutta wonthe Miss Universe title and Priyanka Chopra won the Miss Worldtitle in the same year. The win came to her as a goldenopportunity and opened the doors of Bollywood for her.
Community services
Dia Mirza has been involved with Cancer Patients Aid Association,Spastics Society of India, and has worked extensively with governmentof Andhra Pradesh to spread HIV awareness, prevention of femalefoeticide, PETA, CRY and most recently the NDTV Greenathon - aneffort to find tangible solutions against pollution and book, "DekeDheko" by Radio Mirchi (a campaign initiated to collect books forunderprivileged children). Her other hobbies include writing, reading,painting, pottery, horse riding and theater. She has written severalarticles for the Hindustan Times and various other publicationsas a guest writer. She is on the board of the Coca Cola foundationthat works towards development in rural India. She recentlyadopted two cheetah cubs at the Prince of Wales zoological park inLucknow.
Activism
Dia Mirza has been actively involved in addressing social issues andhas been a part of various campaigns. The actress is an active memberof Cancer Patients Aid Association, PETA, Child Rights and You(CRY), ADAPT, Greenpeace India, and the Coca Cola foundation. Sheis also associated with campaigns such as Sanctuary Asia's Leave MeAlone and Female Foeticide.
Dia Mirza, along with Aamir Khan publicly expressed support forthe Narmada Bachao Andolan, a group protesting the building of adam. This aroused the ire of political activists from theBharatiya Janata Party, who led a protest march against theactress. Dia also won the Green Award at IIFA 2012 forspreading awareness about environment-related issues.
Along with these, Mirza has endorsed for The Body Shop for their standon the ban on animal testing and propagation of recycled packaging andnatural products. Also, she is the Eco Ambassador forPanasonic. Dia Mirza has been facilitated at various awardfunctions for her active involvement in the Social and EnvironmentalIssues
Galleries of Dia Mirza
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