The 18-year old Sagittarian is full of smiles and laughter. After winning the Miss Asia-Pacific title in Manila, Diya Mirza has become a household name. Born to a German father and a Bengali mother, this light-eyed damsel has been flooded with offers from tinsel town. It's a wonder how things change when you become a star, isn't it?
At the age of 16 she was working as a marketing executive at sriven Mult-tech in Hyderabad. She earned a monthly salary of Rs 5000, with a 15 per cent commision on every ad revenue She fetched for the company. She has done an advertising campaign which appeared in femina. After the pictures came out she was encouraged to participate in the Miss India competition. Thats when Miss India happned.
At 18, a quiet, introverted girl entered the Femina Miss India Contest to have some fun.
She walked away with 3 titles – Miss Beautiful Smile, The Sony Viewers’ Choice Award and Femina Miss India-Asia Pacific. Not that Diya was complaining.
Life has changed in the 10 months since she won the Femina Miss India-Asia Pacific Crown. She has had to make choices over what most 18-year old girls are taken for granted – parents, education and paying bills.
As a career move, the Hyderabad girl shifted to Mumbai, away from home and family. Compromises have been difficult, but necessary.
Like with her education, for one. She opted to do her First Year Bachelor of Arts via correspondence, but as the Miss Asia Pacific competition drew closer, juggling work and studies became close to impossible, specially with her modeling assignments, travelling and training.
Diya says, "I am getting first-hand knowledge about the world and about people from my travels. Of course, when I come back I will resume my formal studies. But I don’t have any regrets right now."
She adds, "My carefree days are over. I have become responsible and busy."
Especially with all the training she has had to undergo. Sabira Merchant worked with her on her diction and etiquette, physical training was with Talwalkars, diet with Anjali Mukherjee, skin care with Dr. Jamuna Pai, hair and make-up with Bharat and Doris Godambe, and clothes from Ritu Kumar and Hemant Trivedi.
Diya is all prepared to hitch her wagon to a star. She is a young woman who is caring, sensitive, beautiful and loving.
She is also independent and armed with a mind of her own. And with everyone’s confidence and encouragement egging on her, Diya has a good chance of bagging a crown India hasn’t won in 25 years.
Her confidence belies her status in the industry. But it is her keen sense of direction and her intrinsic intelligence which makes her so poised and confident. She's all of 20 and yet has accomplished so much. Diya Mirza has a world of opportunities open to her and for the first time she's sure of what she wants to be.
Diya Mirza won the prestigious Miss Asia Pacific title at the beauty pageant held on 2 December, 2000, in Manila. She is the second Indian contestant to be crowned Miss Asia Pacific and the first in 29 years.
Her first film, opposite Madhavan - Rehaana Hai Tere Dil Mein did not make a big splash. But it spelt one thing - Diya Mirza had arrived.
Diya Mirza also worked in a film with arjun rampal titled Deewanapan and she is extremly excited about it.
At the age of 16 she was working as a marketing executive at sriven Mult-tech in Hyderabad. She earned a monthly salary of Rs 5000, with a 15 per cent commision on every ad revenue She fetched for the company. She has done an advertising campaign which appeared in femina. After the pictures came out she was encouraged to participate in the Miss India competition. Thats when Miss India happned.
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