It was two decades ago when a modelling agent had scouted the 16-year-old Dia Mirza and December 3 was the day that changed her life completely. At the age of 16 began a journey for Dia which led to winning the Miss Asia Pacific International crown. Dia had made the nation proud by bringing home the crown 27 years after Tara Anne Fonseca. Dia had also won Miss Beautiful Smile, Miss Avon and Miss Close-Up Smile in Miss India. A year after making the nation proud by winning the Miss Asia Pacific title, Dia became the nation’s crush when she made her Bollywood debut as eloquent and gullible, Reena Malhotra in Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein (2001). (Also Read: Akshay Kumar's 'Proud Son-In-Law Moment' As Director Christopher Nolan Pens Letter To Dimple Kapadia)
Apart from being an actor, Dia Mirza also co-owns the production house, Born Free Entertainment, along with her ex-husband, Sahil Sangha and has lent her support to several causes including female foeticide and HIV awareness. Former Miss Asia Pacific is a woman with a mission and with every step of her career, Dia has proved that she is much more than just ethereal beauty! As Dia completed 20 years of winning the coveted title, she walked down the memory lane and reminisced the life-changing moment.
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Dia Mirza posted a short video on her IG handle, in which she reminisced the memories of her life-changing moment through the script. As the video plays of the moment when she was announced as Miss Asia Pacific, Dia wrote, “I was a wide-eyed 18-year-old when I was crowned Miss Asia Pacific International and in an instant, my whole world changed. Looking back, winning felt like a transitioning from my old life to a new one. I was still the same but everything else had changed…it seems like it was all meant to happen” atop it.
Revealing that her abba had made a card for her with a couplet from Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening during the Miss Asia Pacific pageant, Dia Mirza wrote in the caption, ““The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep." - Robert Frost. Abba had penned this on a card that sat by my bedside table during the Miss Asia Pacific contest... i would read these words every night before i slept. These words have continued to motivate me till this day. Cannot believe it’s been 20 years roughly about this time in the evening that i won the title of Miss Asia Pacific for India! So grateful to every single person that has contributed to my growth.” (Also Read: Esha Deol Gives Glimpses Of The Christmas Decoration In Takhtani House And Sets In The Festive Mood)
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In an interview with The Times of India, Dia Mirza revealed the reaction when she had told her mom she wanted to participate in the contest and how her father convinced his wife. Dia said, “The Times of India contacted me and told me that selections are happening and that they would like me to come and meet the team. They were confident that I would get selected. I have watched such contests happening but had never participated before. There were girls who wanted to be Miss India but I wasn’t one of them. After meeting the TOI team, I went home and told my mum that I want to participate and she was like, ‘Are you crazy’? My father convinced her to let me participate. According to him, it was an opportunity for me to learn something new.”
Dia Mirza’s parents, Frank Handrich and Deepa Mirza had separated when she was just 5 years old and at the age of 9, she had lost her abba to death. In an interview with the Mumbai Mirror, Dia had revealed why she has just one picture with her parents in one frame. Sharing her most priceless possession, Dia had said, "I have only one photograph of myself as a baby with my mother and my father. It's precious. I feel so robbed. I can't think of too many people having just one picture with both their parents. It's my most priceless possession. That's my favourite throwback. My dad was a photographer and he would mostly take pictures of my mom and I. My parents separated when I was five. I lost my dad when I was nine. That's how I didn't collect physical memories." For Dia, this picture is worth a thousand words. (Also Read: Hardik Pandya Reacts On Being Called 'Misogynist' Post 'Koffee With Karan', Says Home Is About Women)
Congratulations Dia on completing 20 years of that beautiful and proud moment!
