Dia Mirza reminisces about struggling during modelling days with Lara Dutta; says, “Lara and I shared apartment, which was the size of a matchbox”

Dia Mirza reminisced about her early modelling days, recalling the time she lived with Lara Dutta in a small apartment with little money.

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

March 12, 2025 - 12:25 PM IST

Actor Dia Mirza, who was a finalist in the Miss India 2000 beauty pageant alongside Lara Dutta and Priyanka Chopra, reminisced about the time when she and Lara lived together in an apartment with little to no money in their bank accounts during their modelling days. She also shared that while Priyanka had the support of her parents, she and Lara shared an apartment “which was the size of a matchbox.”

Dia Mirza reminisces about struggling during modelling days with Lara Dutta; says, “Lara and I shared apartment, which was the size of a matchbox”

Speaking about developing strong, individual identities amid the natural comparisons with Lara and Priyanka—since all three won international beauty crowns—Dia recalled the experience of navigating a new city on her own.

Dia shared, “Priyanka still had some support from her parents, but Lara and I didn’t. Lara was already living here because she was modelling, and she had opened her heart to me and shared her apartment, which was the size of a matchbox. I remember helping her pack for her Miss Universe and then she went away.”

She added, “Priyanka was just doing extraordinarily well, almost from the get-go. She had other battles to fight and deal with, and some of those intensified with time. But she was doing really well. I really had awe and respect for it. I remember thinking to myself, ‘My God, if I were half the actress she is, how much further I would be able to go.”

Dia also recalled attending glamorous photoshoots and then returning home to eat instant noodles because she had no money in her bank account to afford anything else.

She revealed, “We shared Wai Wai noodles because paise nahi the. Lara and I modelled and saved that money. Neither of us used any money from our parents to do anything. Even in Priyanka’s situation, she had solid support, and her parents were very involved, but with us, we just had what we had earned and saved. There were days when savings would run out, and payments would be due. We would be sitting in these expensive gowns, coming back from fancy events, and choosing Wai Wai because that’s all we could afford.”

Their situation often left Lara and Dia in fits of laughter. “We would laugh hysterically. We would be like, ‘See bhaade ke kapde, hum kitne glamorous lag rahe hain, lekin bank mein paise nahi hain.’”

However, things changed for them as they eventually made their way into Bollywood. After winning the Miss Asia Pacific title, Dia Mirza went on to star in films such as Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, and others.

Also Read : Dia Mirza looks back at winning Miss India with throwback photos: “We had the most amazing women participating from across the country”