Dia Mirza defends ‘IC 814’; says, ‘The show was called out for humanising all characters'

Dia Mirza recently addressed the wave of criticism faced by 'IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack.' In an interaction, when a comparison between 'IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack' and 'Dhurandhar' was drawn, Dia pointed out how the show’s attempt to humanise every character sparked discomfort among viewers. She also highlighted that at this time in point, jingoism is widely celebrated.Dia opened up on The Namrata Zakaria Show about the criticism her IC 814 team endured for their Kandahar hijack series. ‘Dhurandhar’ got tagged as a “chest thumping film,” while IC 814 faced heat for taking a different path. She shared, “The show was called out for humanising all the characters, including the terrorists. I guess it is because we are celebrating jingoism too much now. We adore it. There is a trend to enjoy and celebrate jingoism, which our show is not. I don’t regret it. It has such a balanced view and gives people the opportunity to see each side the way it was.” As industry voices hold back on the film, Dia highlighted why artists must raise their voices. “I think it is very important to be vocal as artists. I am a big Shabana Azmi bhakt, and I follow her message that if art is not utilised to improve the lives of others, then what is the point of art. So yes, I am political, and I have a stand. And yes, I will convey that through the choices I make in the stories I tell.”Dia also recognized the toll of taking these positions, “It is not easy. We are trolled regularly. Beyond that, there is all kinds of intimidation because if you are not in agreement with what larger forces expect, then it is not easy.”On December 5, Dhurandhar's release sparked cheers from Bollywood celebs on X. Hrithik Roshan hailed its epic scope, despite political differences. But since Dhurandhar 2 arrived on March 19, he and most others have stayed mum. South Indian film stars have led the recent applause, with Allu Arjun, Jr NTR, and Mahesh Babu cheering the movie and its actors. Filmmakers Ram Gopal Varma and SS Rajamouli echoed the praise. On the flip side, Prakash Raj and Divya Spandana condemned it as “propaganda” and “jingoistic.”