India, Oct. 21 -- A t 19, fresh from winning the Miss Asia Pacific International crown in 2000, Dia Mirza Rekhi made her Bollywood debut opposite R Madhavan in Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein (2001). As the film, which initially failed at the box office before gaining cult status, completes 25 years this month, the 44-year-old actor looks back at the setbacks that followed: "When my films didn't work at the box office, I was honestly bunked from feature films. And that can be a huge emotional setback to a young and aspiring actor." By 2004-05, Dia had stopped chasing stardom, choosing instead to focus on stories she believed in. "I've pursued meaning over material," she says. She later co-founded production house, which backed Love Breakups Zindagi (2011) and the Vidya Balan-starrer Bobby Jasoos (2014): "If I'm not going to get a seat at the table, I'm going to build my own table. I am going to create space for what I truly believe in and what I believe I can add value to." Dia counts Sanju (2018), in which she played Manyata Dutt, and her portrayal of Maneka among the roles that opened new doors. She credits the web series Kaafir (2019), in which she played Kainaaz Akhtar, with changing how the industry perceived her: "Up until then, I would hear people say, 'You're so beautiful, underutilised, you should be doing more'." Her advice to young actors? "There is no shelf life."...