Dia Mirza Birthday: From Miss Asia Pacific to Bollywood’s Graceful Star

Dia Mirza is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. She won the Miss India Asia Pacific 2000 title and then the Miss Asia Pacific International 2000 title. Dia made her acting debut in the Hindi film Rehnaa Hai Tere Dil Mein (2001), for which she received a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award nomination.

Dia subsequently appeared in films such as Dus (2005), Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. (2007), Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007), Kurbaan (2009), Sanju (2018), and Thappad (2020). Sanju was the highest-grossing film of her career. She co-owned a production house, Born Free Entertainment, with her ex-husband Sahil Sangha. Following their divorce, they launched their new production house, One India Stories, in 2019. She subsequently appeared in the web series Kaafir (2019) and IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack (2024).

Dia Mirza Family Background and Early Life Details

Dia Mirza was born on 9 December 1981 in Hyderabad. Her father, Frank Handrich, was a graphics and industrial designer, architect, artist, and interior designer from Munich, Germany. Her mother, Deepa, was a Bengali interior designer and landscaper who also volunteered in drug de-addiction campaigns. Her parents divorced when Dia was only four and a half years old. Her mother later remarried Ahmed Mirza, a Muslim man from Hyderabad, whose surname Dia adopted. Her stepfather died in 2003.

Dia attended Vidyaranya High School and later Nasr School. She then completed her Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Stanley Junior College and Ambedkar Open University, Hyderabad. During college, she worked as a marketing executive at Neeraj Multi-Media Studios. She also modeled for advertisements for brands such as Lipton, Walls Ice Cream, and Emami.

Dia Mirza Wins Miss Asia Pacific 2000 Title

Dia Mirza was the second runner-up at Femina Miss India 2000 and then represented India at the Miss Asia Pacific 2000 pageant, where she emerged victorious. She also won the titles of Miss Beautiful Smile, Miss Avon, and Miss Close-up Smile. By winning Miss Asia Pacific on 3 December 2000 in Manila, Philippines, Dia became the first Indian to win the title in 27 years. Other international titles for India were won by Lara Dutta (Miss Universe) and Priyanka Chopra (Miss World) that same year.

View this post on Instagram

Dia Mirza Debuted as Lead in RHTDM in 2001

After a small role in the Tamil film En Swasa Kaatre (1999), Dia made her lead role in Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein in 2001. She played Reena Malhotra. The film was not a success upon release, but later became a cult hit.

Career as a producer

In 2011, she started Born Free Entertainment with her ex-husband Sahil Sangha. She produced Love Breakups Zindagi, Bobby Jasoos and Mind the Malhotras (web series). In 2019, she launched her new production house One India Stories.

Social work and activism

Diya is involved in several social campaigns:

• Cancer Patients Aid Association

• Spastic Society of India

• HIV awareness

• Female Feticide Protest

• PETA, CRY

• NDTV Greenathon

• UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador

• Youth Ambassador of Swachh Bharat Mission

She adopted two leopard cubs. She is a strong voice for climate change, wildlife conservation and environmental awareness. She was also included in the BBC's 100 Women List 2023.

Dia Mirza’s Marriages and Son’s Birth Timeline

In 2014, Dia became engaged to Sahil Sangha and married the same year. In 2019, they announced their separation. In 2021, Dia married businessman Vaibhav Rekhi. On May 14, 2021, their son, Avyaan Azad Rekhi, was born prematurely and spent two months in the NICU. She also has a stepdaughter, Samira Rekhi.

Also read:Bigg Boss 19: Malti Chahar’s Bold Reveal — “I Was Kicked… And Lied To”

Media images

Dia Mirza has been included in many 'Most Desirable' and 'Most Beautiful Women' lists. She has also written articles for various newspapers and magazines.

Also read:Bigg Boss 19: Gaurav Khanna’s First Reaction After Victory — A Direct Message for Farhana

Recent Projects

Untitled Romance: A Love Story with Rahul Bhatt, directed by Kanwal Sethi, will wrap up shooting in Nov 2025, and is expected to release in 2026/2027.

O' Romeo: A film coming in 2026.

Nadaniyaan: A film coming in 2025 in which she plays the role of Ibrahim Ali Khan's mother.

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack: An action-thriller series set in 2024.

Also read:Bigg Boss 19: Pranit More Exclusive: “If I Didn’t Win, Gaurav Was My First Choice”

Songs

FAQs

Q1. When and where was Dia Mirza born?

A1. Dia Mirza was born on 9 December 1981 in Hyderabad.

Q2. Which international beauty pageant did Dia Mirza win?

A2. She won the title of Miss Asia Pacific International 2000.

Q3. Which is Dia Mirza's first film?

A3. Her first Hindi film was Rehnaa Hai Tere Dil Mein (2001).

Q4. Was Dia Mirza nominated for a Filmfare Award?

A4. Yes, she was nominated for Best Female Debut.

Q5. Which is Dia Mirza's most successful film?

A5. His most successful film at the box office is Sanju (2018).