Stardom brings Pretention Diya Mirza

Carrying the title of Miss Asia-Pacific and a number of movies to her credit, actress Diya Mirza stands level headed in an industry where stardom usually brings pretention.
Apart from being an actress, she has also been actively involved in social work and has also opened a production house, Born Free Entertainment. In a tete-a-tete, she gets candid and speaks about Bollywood and her career through Bollywood.
“Stardom sometimes can bring a lot of pretension in your life. I've noticed that a lot of people around you change, and that is scary. I've tried to stay the same”, said the 31 years old actress.
She further added, “It (stardom) has bothered me. I will be dishonest if I say it hasn't. But it hasn't overwhelmed me or destroyed me.”
She confessed battling through a number of relationships rumors, competitions and comparisons in Bollywood.
She told that with her own production house, she has opened up her horizon and tried different things. She said, “I have given my shot to acting.” She added, “I gave a good 10 years to acting. Now my horizons are expanding and I'm exploring myself. I'm optimistic and happy with my company.” Diya also said, “Cinema is my passion, but I will not destroy my self-esteem by being a part of films which I am not a part of.”
Diya made her Bollywood debut with 2001 released ‘Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein’. Before this she had already made her debut in a Tamil movie in 1999. Though the same year when Diya won Miss Asia-Pacific crown, both Larra Dutta and Priyanka Chopra also bagged the titles of Miss Universe and Miss World respectively, they have been more successful in Bollywood than her. According to Diya, only thing that mattered to her during her Bollywood career as an actress was the perception of her audiences. She said, “I've never been crushed by the industry's perception. I've always been motivated by the audience's perception. People love me, and no one can change that. From where I came and how I started, I've got more than what I could have asked for. I have only gratitude”. She then added, “But if you compare me with my contemporaries, then maybe I didn't do many big films, or I did big films, and they didn't do well.”
Diya told, “There are so many young girls who have come into the industry now who have been a part of successful films. I think all the new and good filmmakers are looking to cast them. This can be extremely terrifying for an actor.”
“The one thing which I have earned which no one can take away from me is my hard work. My social work gives me so much inspiration. It is much more than what my films have given me," she told at the end of the conversation