Dia Mirza reveals she mortgaged her first home to fund Bobby Jasoos

Dia Mirza has revealed that she mortgaged her first home to back Bobby Jasoos, the 2014 project led by Vidya Balan. At a time when conversations around female-led films and women producers were beginning to gain more attention in the Hindi film industry, Mirza took a personal financial risk to back a project she believed in. In 2014, the actress turned producer with Bobby Jasoos, which starred Vidya Balan in the lead.

Looking back at the making of the film, Mirza revealed that she had mortgaged her first-ever purchased home to help bring the project to life.

“I had bought my first home after years of working, and I mortgaged it to take a bank loan so we could make the film. It wasn’t something I did because I thought it was brave. At that moment, it simply felt like standing by my conviction. We had a story we believed in, an extraordinary actor who had trusted us with her time and talent, and a team that was ready to make the film. I felt we had to honour that,” she shared.

Mirza also spoke about another aspect of the project — ensuring Vidya Balan was paid fairly. She said, “One thing I remain very proud of is that we were able to pay Vidya what we believed she deserved. The entire film rested on her shoulders. If we were willing to recognise and remunerate a male actor for carrying a film, why should it be any different for a woman?”

Reflecting on the experience years later, Mirza said her focus is less on the financial risk she took and more on the opportunity to support another woman’s talent. She also highlighted the importance of women creating opportunities for themselves within the industry. “I was young, I believed fiercely in the film and I was willing to put what I had on the line for that belief. Looking back, what stays with me most is not the risk. It is the privilege of having been able to stand behind another woman’s talent and create something together. Women supporting women can change not only whose stories get told, but who gets the opportunity to tell them,” she stated.

Directed by Samar Shaikh, Bobby Jasoos follows Bilqees Ahmed, a woman from Hyderabad who aspires to become a detective while dealing with various challenges along the way. The film featured Vidya Balan in the lead role.

For the full feature, see the original report.

Dia Mirza’s account underscores how women-led projects can rely on personal risk and collaborative support. For ongoing DPIFF entertainment coverage, explore more entertainment news from DPIFF and check DPIFF’s latest newsroom coverage.