19 February,2026 04:47 PM IST | Mumbai | Oshin Fernandes
Dia Mirza Pic/Instagram
Bollywood actor, producer, entrepreneur and climate warrior Dia Mirza, who was a keynote speaker at the Earthshot Prize 2026 during the inaugural Mumbai Climate Week, calls it the greatest privilege of her life because it allows her to engage with extraordinary young minds, for their solutions offer hope. In an exclusive interaction with mid-day, Dia, who is a UN Environment Programme Goodwill Ambassador, gets candid about the persisting poor Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city, waste management, and the need for a green cover.
Dia Mirza admits that the climate space can be debilitating and frustrating since activists are confronted by insurmountable issues. However, by encouraging changemakers, one can redesign the future. "We can change the way we understand and respond to the Earth," she states. However, there are days when Dia is terrified of the environment that we're raising our children in. "They're breathing polluted air every day." She asserts that the only way we can repair our broken relationship with nature is by making sure our children have one.
Dia Mirza doesn't shy away from calling out the poor AQI of the city; however, the internal privilege doesn't let us abstain from luxury. Being a celeb herself, she acknowledges the dilemma but maintains that it is paramount to consider our individual choices, such as refusing products or packaging that harm the environment or just asking fundamental questions like, "Where is my sh't going?"
Sharing her take on AQI, Dia explains, "Air pollution is the lowest-hanging fruit. It's the one thing that we can combat swiftly. All we need to do is apply the will to do it, because the solutions exist. The only reason why these problems persist is because they still don't feature as a political vote bank agenda. If we are not going to vote for clean air, water, or healthy pesticide-free, chemical-free food, nothing is going to change."
Activism often comes with a negative connotation. While it may sound challenging, her only hurdle has been when there are too many men in the room and they're not comfortable with the fact that she holds them accountable. "I experience that more so with governments than I do with civil society. It's largely government officials who are uncomfortable. Either they want a photograph with you, or they want to kill you. Or both. Or they'll first take the picture and then kill me," she laughs.
On a parting note, Dia only wishes for three things when it comes to Mumbai, her karmabhoomi. First is air quality, second is waste management, and third is to improve green cover.
