Dia Mirza on insider-outsider debate: ‘I feel a personal agenda in a lot of things that are being said’ – bollywood

Dia Mirza weighed in on the insider-outsider debate in Bollywood and said that favouritism does exist, just like in every other walk of life. She also said that camps exist in the industry.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Dia said about the insider-outsider debate, “Firstly, I think it has been a very unhealthy debate. I see that because I see the rationale applied to both sides has been very skewed. Is there favouritism? Of course there is. But it is a social issue, it’s something that all human beings do and happens in all walks of life. It happens in schools and classrooms, teachers have their favourite students. Favouritism is nothing new to the construct of human nature. It is something that we have always had.”

When asked about the existence of a ‘movie mafia’, as has been alleged in the recent past, Dia said, “Honestly, I feel there is a PR machinery. There are certain individuals that because of maybe their stronger revenue stream have certain people handling their PR and there is so much favouritism that even happens in the media. There are so many people who are deserving of more respect and a lot more attention than they get.”

Dia said that unless certain ‘big stars’ comment on any issue, the popular perception is that the industry is silent on it. “Even when artists comment on certain situations, until the big stars don’t comment on it, the media will always say the industry is not speaking about it. No, but the industry has spoken about it. Certain artists have not but to a larger audience or population or even to the media, until certain individuals speak, it’s not perceived as the industry. I think this is an issue that we have innately, within us. It’s a structural and perceptional issue. It’s also something that has been created by the media,” she said.

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On being asked about camps in Bollywood, Dia said, “There are camps. Of course, there are camps! There are camps of people who get along with each other, who work closely and intimately with each other, their personalities gel.”

There has been talk of ‘sabotage’ by the high and mighty in Bollywood. Responding to these claims, Dia said, “I do understand that if I had been favoured by certain individuals, maybe that would have opened up more opportunities for me. But I have always believed that it is important to walk your own path and set your own course and discover your own opportunities. Yes, when I was younger, I used to find it very unsettling. There have been times where I have been disturbed by it as well. I have lost films to other actors and it’s hurtful but you get up, you dust it off and you move forward. I feel a personal agenda in a lot of things that are being said. I see a lot of personal bone to pick with people. I find a lot of the attacks deeply personal and hurtful. That’s why I feel it’s unhealthy.”

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