Dia Mirza speaks about facing casual sexism in Bollywood: We lacked access to privacy, and basic hygiene

Actress Dia Mirza is unarguably one of the most popular names in Bollywood. She has come a long way ever since her debut. The actress has now spoken about her initial days in cinema, and how ‘casual sexism’ was prevalent on the sets of Bollywood films.

In an interview with BBC Hindi, the actress shared that back then women in cinema hardly had privacy, even to change clothes, and also added that access to toilet facilities too were rare.

Dia Mirza recalled that, back then when they had to shoot outdoors for songs, something as basic as a toilet was a luxury. “When we would go to locations to shoot songs, a basic thing like a toilet wouldn’t be available,” she said.

Dia Mirza also added that on such occasions, women used to go behind trees, or rocks, and three people would shield them with large sheets. She also spoke about how there weren’t even space to change clothes. “

In an interview with BBC Hindi, the actress shared, “There would be differences in how we were treated, in the amenities that were available to us. Our vanity vans would be smaller. When we would go to locations to shoot songs, a basic thing like a toilet wouldn’t be available.”Basically, we lacked access to privacy, access to basic hygiene,” Dia Mirza said.

She also spoke about the treatment on the sets too were biased. Dia Mirza revealed that if a male actor arrives late on the sets, no questions are asked, but if the delay is from the part of a woman, she would be tagged ‘unprofessional’.


Meanwhile, Dia Mirza’s recent outing was ‘Dhak Dhak’.