No more music videos, says Dia Mirza

Playing Anu

I play Anu who is definitive, independent, well informed and flirtatious. As a part of the sub-plot, conflict arises when she falls for her brother's (Dino) best buddy (Zayed) and it doesn't go down well with her sibling. The situation has been dealt quite sensitively. In fact, I share way too many similarities with the character.

My Munnabhai film

Firstly, the greatest respect a director can confer on you when he says that he has sketched the character keeping you in mind. Anu is that fiercely independent woman, that's me in any case, off the sets.

It's based on my own realities that I can identify the best with. Also Vicky Chopra (director) is from the Vidhu Vinod Chopra school of sensible cinema and here he was, planning to make an out-and-out commercial film. I wanted to see how in every frame he balances the aesthetics of sensible cinema with the fun element of a commercial film.

My independent streak

Right from the age of seven, I have been preparing my own breakfast, packing my school bag and even tying my shoelaces. I have been raised up in a certain manner so that I don't rely on any individual anytime for the rest of my life. I'm a movie star only on the sets. Whenever I'm at home I'm cleaning and dusting my room, folding my clothes and many such chores.

My Fight Club experience

The camaraderie that was shared by our cast members reflects in every frame of the film. We were literally a gang who would huddle up and play carrom, crack jokes and bully each other. I remember once Sohail sent me a stinker saying that he's not going to talk me ever again because of some silly act of mine.

He's like family and I got upset about it. I messaged him back apologising profusely but he never got back. The next day at the shoot I figure out that it was Riteish who had masterminded it.

My memorable scene

We went to Austria to film the song Bolo na tum zara, which is currently on air. Our director Vicky had scouted the location and even checked with the weather bureau that promised sunny and dry conditions.

But the very first day it started pouring like cats and dogs. What was supposed to be canned over four days had to be wrapped up in eight hours that left Vicky literally sobbing. But I'm glad the song looks great and is getting appreciated.

My music videos

No more music videos for me after Kajra mohabbatwala, which I did for Vaibhavi Merchant who choreographed it. She is a close friend and I did it because of her. Also, I had done one of my very first music videos for Sonu Nigam and that's another reason for doing it. I enjoy the medium but had enough by now. It's time to get more serious about my films.

My future projects

Neeraj Vohra's Kya Family Hai with Arjun Rampal and Paresh Rawal where I play an orphan NRI who lands up in India seeking to marry a guy with a big extended family.

But ultimately she falls for a tapori (Arjun) who's also an orphan. The other two are Subi Samuel's Alagh, which is a humane story about a kid who grows up and evolves as an individual over the course of time and of course Lagey Raho Munnabhai.