`I vomited after we finished`: Dia Mirza recalls filming rape scene for Kaafir

Bollywood actor Dia Mirza, who is making waves for her role in Kaafir recently shed light on the rape scene which took a toll on her physically and emotionally. Based on the true story of Shehnaz Parveen, Kaafir delves into the intense story of a Pakistani woman who, after crossing the Line-of-Control (LOC) into Indian territory, is imprisoned under suspicion of being a militant. Over seven years in captivity, she gives birth to a child, only to be rescued by an Indian journalist, who fights for her freedom. 

Dia Mirza threw up after rape scene 

Dia Mirza, who plays the role of Kainaaz Akhtar, told News 18, “I remember when we shot the rape scene, it was so hard. I was shaking physically after we got done with filming that scene. I remember throwing up. I vomited after we finished rolling that entire sequence. That`s how emotionally and physically demanding those situations were. When you take your entire body into the truth of that moment, you feel it. You feel it in its full extent.”

Kaafir shaped Dia’s journey to motherhood

The Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein star shared how the role deeply impacted her understanding of compassion, care, and emotional strength — qualities that would later define her own path to motherhood. 

She told IANS, “Kainaaz made me a mother long before I became a biological mother. Such is the power of the emotional thread that binds the mother-daughter relationship in this story. I found myself connecting with her fight for survival, her motherly love, and the sacrifices she made. There were moments on set when I could really feel her pain, and I could see how powerful her story was. While shooting, there were definitely moments where I was reminded of how deeply personal Kainaaz’s circumstances are, and I felt a deep connection to her resilience.”

Originally planned as a film, Dia Mirza`s 2019 project returned to its original format, six years after it first debuted as a web series on Zee5.

On the work front, Dia Mirza was recently seen in the film Nadaaniyan, which marked the debut of Saif Ali Khan`s son Ibrahim Ali Khan. The film also stars Khushi Kapoor.