u2018 Story compels humanity to thinku2019 Shaheen Parkar shaheen@ mid- day. com Her maiden digital venture may have won her rave reviews, but Dia Mirza believes that the credit goes to the beautiful writing of Kaafir. In telling the story of a woman hailing from Pakistan- occupied Kashmir who is put behind bars in India after being suspected of being a militant, Mirza, director Sonam Nair and writer Bhavani Iyer have offered a narrative that is urgent and relevant in todayu2019s political climate.
u201c As an artiste, I respond to stories.
The plot of Kaafir moved me, it compels humanity [ to think]. Iu2019m grateful that it was my debut on OTT,u201d says Mirza of the show that is inspired by true events. u201c The experiences that Kainaaz Akhtar [ her character] has, are so challenging at an emotional level. The fact that it was inspired by a true story made it even more difficult.u201d The harsh winter in Himachal Pradesh is far from conducive for shoots, but the actor feels otherwise.
u201c When you are invested in a character, nothing feels extreme,u201d she declares, adding that a sequence required her to jump into a river. u201c Even though the temperature was sub- zero degrees, I was revelling in the narrative so much that it didnu2019t occur to me. The team was on standby with blankets and warm water. After finishing a shot, I would lie on the ground trembling, with my teeth chattering.u201d She rues that the series, which also stars Mohit Raina and child actor Dishita Sehgal, could not be shot in the Valley. u201c Kashmir was going through a strange time then, so we couldnu2019t go there. But I am happiest when I am in the Himalayas.u201d Mirza admits that the team is currently developing the material for the second season. u201c But I have no idea whether the story will move forward, or a new story will be told.u201d More about Kaafir u00a3 Environment- conscious Dia Mirza gifted the entire crew customised metal water bottles, with each bearing the useru2019s name u00a3 The show was shot in Himachal Pradesh, with a short stint in Mumbai.
Despite the sweltering heat in Mumbai, the actors had to wear woollen clothes to maintain continuity Cast your vote for the Hitlist Web Awards u00a3 Dia Mirza has been nominated in the Best Actor ( Female) category for Zee5u2019 s Kaafir. The other nominees are: Shefali Shah ( Delhi Crime; Netflix) Sobhita Dhulipala ( Made In Heaven; Amazon Prime) Shweta Tripathi Sharma ( Laakhon Mein Ek; Amazon Prime) Rasika Dugal ( Out Of Love; Hotstar) Geetanjali Kulkarni ( Gullak; SonyLIV) Mithila Palkar ( Little Things S03; Netflix) u00a3 There are 14 categories that the public can vote in. Log on to www. hitlistwebawards. com to cast your vote.
u00a3 You can also vote via SMS. Send HITLIST category name your choice ( a/ b/ c/ d as on the website) to 57575.
u00a3 Voting lines close on March 8.
Nominated in the Best Actor ( Female) category in the upcoming mid- day and Radio City Hitlist Web Awards, Kaafir actor Dia Mirza says proud to foray into web with a thought- provoking series
