Dia Mirza on her role of Editor Shalini in IC 814: Anubhav Sinha tried to use every device to camouflage me – EXCLUSIVE

Bollywood actress Dia Mirza, who is playing the role of a newspaper editor, Shalini, or Sha as she is called in the series IC 814, delved into her role as a journalist. In an exclusive conversation with MoneyControl, she thanked director Anubhav Sinha for giving her such a role and investing so much in her character’s look in the series.

She jokingly said that Anubhav made sure that he wanted users to see only the character Shalini on screen and not Dia, who is very prim and proper in real life.

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IC 814: The Kandahar Attack also explores the shift from print to television media and the evolving dynamics within the industry.

Dia Mirza said that her character is that of an editor, leading both a newspaper and a television channel.

Dia Mirza, who made her presence felt in the industry with her movie ‘Rhna Hai Tere Dil Mein’, expressed her admiration for director Anubhav Sinha's storytelling prowess, noting his ability to craft nuanced dialogues and structure scenes in a captivating manner.

Also Read: IC 814 director Anubhav Sinha on his web debut, says ‘Everything you see in this series has never been unfolded’ - EXCLUSIVE

She emphasized the importance of portraying characters who are more than just entertainment.

Dia also highlighted the fact that the series explores the relationship between her character and Amrita Puri's (another journalist). She said that the relationship between these two women is "interesting" and also highlights the challenges they face in navigating their professional and personal lives.

Dia explained how Anubhav Sinha intentionally avoided casting her in a stereotypical role, opting for a more nuanced and complex portrayal.

Excerpts from the Interview:

"I'm just really grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such powerful storytelling. I'm a huge admirer of Anubhav Sinha's craft and his adeptness of storytelling. I think the way he brings nuance in dialogue, the way he structures and, you know, shoots his scenes, is riveting. As a performer, it's always fun to be a part of that process and collaborate with him and discover so many things that are unique to him. And for me, it's always interesting. And I think, for any actor, it's always interesting to be able to be a part of storytelling that is conveying a little more than just entertainment, where you are living and breathing real people.

Didn’t have the understanding earlier of a journalist.

Dia: I've played journalist before, but I was much younger when I played journalist. And I don't think I had the understanding that I believe I was able to bring to the role now. I have had the benefit of engaging and interacting with several of my journalist friends, women journalist friends who have been 20 years, 24 years.

Also, what's very interesting about this track is that it very simply helps you see or sense that cusp of media, you know, where the transition was happening from print to television. The dynamics and the power roles were shifting. And within this whole atmosphere, here you have a woman leading as an editor of a newspaper publication and is also running a new television channel that is, you know, focused on the news. So that was very interesting to me. Very interesting moments with Amrita Puri’s character

We also have some very, very interesting moments between Amrita Puri and me. That highlights this. And I think when you talk to friends who've told you how they stayed at work for 72 hours—non-stop, from, you know, Christmas Eve all the way to New Year's Eve. How that week in their lives was. We may not have these exact scenes in the show, but I think when you carry these stories, you carry them in your bones. And then hopefully, in some way, in some moment, somewhere, you see that.

My role is not cliche

Dia: My character is born with a vision; the way you see her is born out of women in media at the time. Women that we admire, Anubhav and I admire, and we've kind of taken elements of what we loved about them. And the interesting thing was that Anubhav decided he didn't want to see me as me at all. He wanted it to be a complete like; he tried to use every device to camouflage me.

I'm also, like, very proper. Like, my saree palla is in a place. My hair will be proper. I'm very proper. And Shalini is anything but proper, other than proper, about her work. So, visually, the hair is messy.

Her pallu is always kind of just flung on the shirt. Yeah. There are crinkles. So it was fun, and it was actually hilarious because I don't think Anubhav has ever invested so much time in deciding how somebody has to look. He said, “I don't want to see Dia.”

Dia's role in IC 814

Dia Mirza plays the role of an editor in the series IC 814, which has been directed by Anubhav Sinha. The series is streaming on Netflix from August 29.

The series also stars Patralekhaa, Vijay Varma, Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah, Arvind Swami, and others in pivotal roles.

Watch full video interview here: