Dia Mirza made her debut in Bollywood with Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein in 2001. Though the film failed to click at the box office then, over the years, it garnered cult status in the romance genre. The actress, who was all of 20 when the film had hit the screens, joined the film industry right after she was crowned Miss Asia Pacific International in 2000, just a year before she began her journey in Bollywood.

Today, she has clocked two decades in an industry that is ever-changing. While she has learnt to adapt to the ways of the film world, when asked what advice she would give her 20-year-old self, Dia says, “When I look back now, I was just so busy doing so much. What I would tell myself is to slow down and take a pause. I would also tell myself to understand what is that you are doing and why is it that you are doing it.”

Talking about what she would do differently at the beginning of her career if she could, Dia added, “I think I jumped into the job very quickly. I had very little time to learn the craft. I learnt most of what I did on the job. I think it would have been a great advantage if I had come into the industry a little more prepared. Today, when I talk to anyone who aspires to be an actor, that’s what I tell them. I urge them to learn as much as they can, spend more time behind the camera, assist somebody if they can and understand every nuance of the storytelling process before they actually jump in front of the camera.”

On the work front, the actress, who was seen in films like Sanju, Thappad and a web show, recently made her debut in Telugu films with Wild Dog opposite Nagarjuna. Meanwhile, on the personal front, Dia and her husband Vaibhav Rekhi, who tied the knot in February this year, are all set to welcome their first child.