Dia Mirza on her character in Anubhav Sinha’s Bheed: I was sobbing while reading the script based on migrant crisis

The mismanagement of the Covid-19 lockdown and the suffering of the underpaid migrant labourers are the central themes of actor Dia Mirza’s latest film, Bheed. Though the memories and visual from that time still affect the actor, she remembers how the film’s narrative profoundly took a toll on her when she first heard it. “I was deeply moved by it. I was sobbing while reading the script. I thought this is the film that has to be made as it’s a film for ages. Stories like this are necessary for generations to reflect, internalize and understand how flawed we as humans can be.”

Bheed also focuses on the migrants and tackles the delicate subject of social inequality with heartbreaking visuals and soul-stirring stories. Mirza says that makes the film all the more relevant in today’s time, “We need more films like these to understand the social inequalities that we have lived with. We need to recognise they exist to be able to change it .”

In the film, Mirza plays a single mother from the privileged class of society, who amid the lockdown, is desperately trying to get to her daughter. The actor talks about delving deep into the psyche of her character and also points out how the film throws light on the treatment that privileged tend to give to other sections of society. “There are people who are uncaring of anybody else’s predicament in a moment, where they are so consumed by their problems but that’s natural. That’s also human. This character helped me understand that as an actor, I do not have to judge the character I am playing. I just have to become the character,” she says and goes on, “There are moments in the film, where you will see the grey side of my character, and by extension, the grey side of our society. However, despite the fact that my character in the movie is flawed and serves as a mirror to society, it sends out the message that being flawed is okay.”

A mother herself, Mirza shares that it was hard for her to relate to the character, thereby making the process of seeping into the character, understanding the conflict and bringing it out on the screen, a tad bit challenging . She says, “Her actions were difficult to fathom because she is very different from who I am as a person..as a mother. I have never perceived myself as non-empathetic. That’s why, I decided to understand and internalize the reality of society, the thought-process of her character, and just go with the flow of it. I had to shut everybody out and think as a mother, who is trying to reach her daughter.”

She adds, “Having said that, I do not know how I would react in a situation like this. If that ever happens, it might help discover a side of me, which I do not know about yet.”

But Mirza is happy to learn a lesson from her character, no matter how flawed it is. “ Every character teaches you something and this one taught me to let go and be….just to become that person you are meant to be in that moment. And it’s very interesting that none of us, including me, judged the characters or their actions,” she explains. Mirza calls it the power of strong storytelling that not just her but everyone who saw the film at the preview, came out and said that they did not hate any character despite all their flaws being so evident.

Since the film focusses on social inequality, was there ever the pressure of offending any class or section of the society? And the actors says,“I think, intentions matter. Jab kuch acchi niyat se karo, toh kuch bura nahi ho skta. The intention of the film and the filmmaker were honest. I never felt unsettled or concerned about any area of the film.”

March 22 this year marked the third anniversary of lockdown – the dreadful time that shocked everyone to the core. Recalling her worst memories from that phase, Mirza shares, “When lockdown happened, there were images of hundreds of families on the road trying to go to their homes, daughter cycling the father, images of people coming out of the cement mixer…all these were so powerful (and found way into the narratives of Bheed). While all this happened, we were in the comfort of our home and the first thing that we would say to ourselves every single day was that ‘we are grateful’. Not everyone was as lucky as we are”.

The Sanju actor recalls how there were so many residents in her building, who were single and above the age of 80. “They were rendered helpless because their house help could not come. Our efforts were directed towards making things better for them. For the first few days, all we were trying to do was help them in whatever way possible. I sometimes even went to clean people’s home,” she tells us

“During this time, the biggest discovery for me was less is best. All that we really need is things that makes us safe, secure and healthy,” Mirza ends.