2000 was a landmark year in the world of beauty pageants for India. Dia Mirza was crowned Miss Asia Pacific, while Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta bagged the titles of Miss World and Miss Universe respectively.
Dia Mirza made her big Bollywood debut in Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein alongside R Madhavan. Though the film did not perform phenomenally at the box office, it went on to achieve a cult status later on.
Dia Mirza, who grabbed eyeballs for her beauty, revealed how she tried her level best to conform to the beauty standards of that era. She added, that she now feels disgusted when she watches her previous films, where she went as far as wearing light-coloured lenses.
She also revealed that she was often compared to former beauty queens, especially Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
Dia Mirza told Zoom, "When I started out as an actor, there was a lot of comparison with former beauty queens, especially Aishwarya Rai. It was, of course, a huge compliment at the age of 19 because I was just starting out. Having said that, it was also a very dangerous trend."
She added, "Because of that, I was expected to be as refined as she was and match her beauty standards. However, I soon learned that you don't have to be light-eyed and light-skinned to be perceived as beautiful. You can be yourself entirely and still be beautiful."
She concluded by saying that she did not feel like herself at all, and was extremely uncomfortable.
On the work front, Dia Mirza was last seen in Nadaaniyan, alongside Ibrahim Ali Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Jugal Hansraj, Mahima Chaudhary, and Suniel Shetty.