Days into its release, the trailer of Bheed was caught in a controversy for comparing the state of migrant labourers during the pandemic-induced lockdowns to that of the refugees during the 1947 Partition of India. While the promo has since been altered, Dia Mirza believes that the film remains an urgent story at its core. She is proud to be part of Anubhav Sinha’s directorial venture that looks at the injustice that was meted out to the marginalized sections of society during the 2020 Coronavirus lockdown.

“Like most of Anubhav’s recent movies, Bheed is a thought-provoking film with a humane and moving script that focuses on not only acute social inequality, but also the power of the individual and the collective. It is set during the events of the COVID-19 lockdown that we still remember so vividly,” shares the actor, who is reuniting with the filmmaker three years after the acclaimed Thappad (2020). She promises that her role will “take people completely by surprise”.

In the drama also starring Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar, Pankaj Kapur and Kritika Kamra, Mirza’s character represents India’s privileged class. She plays a working mother whose life changes drastically when the lockdown makes it impossible for her to get home to her child. Through her character that is compelled to make tough choices, the director shows how our morals are tested in trying situations. To Mirza, it is unlike any role she has played before.

“My character will be perceived as unusual because of the choices she makes due to her circumstances. What I love about Bheed is that it is driven by the characters’ nuances. You get to see all the shades of human behaviour that emerge during a crisis.”

Bheed marks the actor’s fourth movie with Sinha after Dus (2005), Cash (2007) and Thappad. She considers herself lucky to have found a like-minded collaborator in him. Mirza says, “I was all of 18 when I first worked with Anubhav on a music video that he was directing for a Sonu Nigam song. It has been so fascinating to watch his evolution as a storyteller, and I deeply respect his choices and craft. It is a privilege to be a part of his compelling stories.”