While she has been a vocal social activist off-screen, Dia Mirza's on-screen works have largely been restricted to playing the girl-next-door. As she makes her web debut with Kaafir, the actor takes on her bravest role to date. The Zee 5 show, inspired by a true story, sees her play a Pakistani woman who accidentally crosses the Indian border and is mistaken for a militant. In a chat with mid-day, she explains why the human drama is pivotal in today's times.

Edited excerpts from the interview: