Dia Mirza: “Every year around this time, I remember the moments I spent on the sets of Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein.”

Dia Mirza: “Even though I was a young girl who had not even travelled abroad before venturing out to win Miss Asia Pacific Crown, this film and its cast and crew made me feel that I belonged.”

In 2001, Dia Mirza came on the TV screens in her introduction song Aya Re Koi Aaya Re from Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, it provoked everybody’s interest concerning who this new actress was. And post the release of the romantic comedy, it amassed an instant cult following thanks to its music and the young love story between Mirza and R Madhavan’s character.

The film’s 20th anniversary on October 19 likewise implies that it has been 20 years since Mirza made her film debut in the industry.

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Looking back at her journey as an actress in Bollywood, she says, “Every year around this time, I remember the moments I spent on the sets of Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein. This film was my introduction to a new creative journey and also to the industry. I am very grateful that both the film and the people I worked with made me believe that I had chosen the right path.”

Mirza also won the win Miss Asia Pacific Crown before entering Bollywood.

“Even though I was a young girl who had not even travelled abroad before venturing out to win Miss Asia Pacific Crown, this film and its cast and crew made me feel that I belonged,” says the 39-year-old Gautham Menon-directed film, which also starred Saif Ali Khan.

Talking about the character of Reena Malhotra says it will remain her personal favourite.

“Two decades before the kind of gender lens that we apply to female characters now, this girl knew how to stand her ground and refused to be intimidated or bullied. And of course, the film’s music was and is so soul-filling. I guess, so many fans look back at this film with nostalgia because we are no longer making musical love stories. Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, its songs and dialogues take people back to a sweeter, simpler era. That I guess explains the lasting appeal of the film,” she explains.