Dia Mirza appointed brand ambassador for The Body Shop

Actress Dia Mirza was named the brand ambassador of Britain-based personal care products retailer The Body Shop. This is the first time the brand has appointed anyone to promote their products in India. The 29-year-old actress looked fresh and resplendent in a flower-print tunic and the minimalistic make-up was in tune with the brand philosophy of looking good naturally. "I have always said that I will endorse only those brands that I believe in. And The Body Shop is one such brand. I also believe that a brand just doesn’t need a face but a voice as well to help in it’s aim to meet expectations," said Dia.

"And the way The Body Shop believes in using natural resources to enhance beauty, I also believe in using eco-friendly products. So the synergy is there," she added.

David Smith, Asia Pacific managing director, The Body Shop, feels this is the right time to create awareness about the brand, which is known for it’s eco-friendly product range.

"India is one of the fastest growing markets for our group. To reach out to our new customers, we are adapting ourselves in every ethical way. This step will take the brand to the next level," said Smith.

The company, a 100-percent subsidiary of French cosmetics giant L’Oreal, was introduced in India four years back and today they have around 65 stores in 25 cities.

The Body Shop also launched it’s fairness range - Moisture White Shiso collection that comes in the price bracket of Rs.1,045 to Rs.2,695

To lure people, The Body Shop slashed prices by 20-30 percent and it helped them to make inroads into tier II and III cities.

"We wanted to make our products affordable and hence we decided to slash the prices to get people in smaller cities use our product line," said Shriti Malhotra, chief operating officer of The Body Shop.

"Now, we are depending on vernacular media to promote the products and also make sure that the city where we are unable to have a store, we retail through departmental chains and shop-in-shop," she added.

Dia Mirza walks the ramp as a lovely bride

Bollywood beauty Dia Mirza looked stunning in a white wedding lehenga as the showstopper for designer Rocky S. on the opening day of the Aamby Valley India Bridal Week. Giving an unconventional approach to his collection, Rocky used white for his showstopper - a colour not usually used for weddings.

"What is interesting is to see an Indian bride in a white lehenga. So surreal and beautiful. The garment is stunning and I think that in itself is a reflection of the line. What Rocky is trying to do with this collection is asking why stick with the mould? Break it and try something new," said Dia.

"And I think it works very well because wearing it I felt beautiful. The garment is stunning and quite honestly, if I were to be getting married, white could be quite a colour for me," the actress said.

Rocky’s collection also entailed other shades including maroon, red, burgundy, beige, brown, pink, peach, grey and black along with a few more whites.

"The signature colours were black and white but I have used a lot of other hues too. I feel today we are out of the typical Indian colours. We are now in a new generation, when you see the collection you will realise that it is styled in a very modern way," said Rocky.

"Just because it is a bridal collection, we don’t have to be completely Indian in our approach. We are today’s people and we dress up in a very different manner than just wearing a typical lehenga or a salwar kameez," he added.

The designer’s collection, along with Indian lehenga’s and sarees, also included varied cocktail dresses and westernised kurtis and tights.

The show also had something for the men. Male models showcased what a bridegroom can look forward to this wedding season. Velvet blazers, bright, embroidered and plain sherwanis and classic tuxedos completed the men’s collection.

Dia Mirza to go big with Acid Factory

Cash and Krazzy4 were the films where Dia Mirza was last seen. Now the actress pins her hopes on forthcoming multi-starrer Acid Factory in which she has performed several stunts on her own.

In Acid Factory, Dia is the only female character and has performed several stunts on her own alongside actors Fardeen Khan, Irrfan Khan, Manoj Bajpai, Dino Morea and Aftab Shivdasani.

Directed by Suparn Varma, the film is produced by Sanjay Gupta.

The shooting of the film is complete and it is in the post production stage now. The film is scheduled to be released by the end of 2009.

Bollywood Babes at FHM Style Icon Awards 2009

Dia Mirza during Peace March in Mumbai

Dia Mirza in December edition of T3

What could be the impact of cover girls upon magazine readers? – this can easily be understood by watching the way the bollywood stars or models are pouring in. I am not talking about fashion or celebrity magazines. The tech-gizmo-gadget magazine T3 features Dia Mirza as their cover girl in December issue.

The December edition of T3 (which also happens to be the second anniversary issue), where she carries the flamingly crimson red dress on the cover. One mere look at Dia, and one will start wondering if the dress is enhancing her or vice versa. But amidst all this, what we forgot about is the lucky cell phone that has found its place in heaven, we mean, Dia's palms! The reader will be in for a shock not to see her interview anywhere in the mag. But the shock will be doubled when they see her posing with all the latest gizmos and gadgets, which include a laptop, watch and yes... a cell phone also!

Dia Mirza- Neha Dhupia- Minissha Lamba- Raveena Tandon n Jiah Khan sizzle on ramp at Chivas Fashion Show

Metamorphosis of Dia Mirza

Once upon a time Ms. Dia Mirza was described as dainty, dreamy and elfin. The operative word here being 'once'. But today, there's a new Ms. Mirza in who audaciously demands nothing less than sexy, sultry and a host of other femme fatal-esque synonyms to be bestowed on her. This sudden volte-face from sweet to sexy is all thanks to her upcoming Sanjay Gupta film Acid Factory, which has the actor playing the anti-heroine, 'Max' - a cold, manipulative character that Dia admits is "the darkest side of me." Even her Facebook message board mirrors her state of mind, "I am working harder than ever because Max is the most challenging character to play." But a challenge is something the 26-year-old claims to like and even crave at times. "As an actor, I feel it's important to be able to essay different roles. Each one of us has so many layers, so many facets to our personality," she purrs languidly as she takes a break from painting her lips a saucy scarlet. "It is unfortunate that most characters in Indian cinema are one-dimensional. Max is not just dark. She's fun, charming, arrogant, proud, indifferent and confident. Most of which we all are or can be… or perhaps would like to be."

Getting a vicarious thrill from playing a woman like 'Max' is one thing, but finding a hidden part of your personality in a dark character is a whole new ball game. "Even though Max is dark, I think she's still inspirational. That's the side that excites me," she says, laughing with manic exhilaration. "It's that facet of my personality that upbringing, emotional intelligence, and perseverance to be the best person that I can be has disallowed me to explore. I'm having so much fun being Max that sometimes it scares me how good it feels to be bad!"

And the metamorphosis is apparent, not just in her well-toned, lean bod, but in her demeanor as well. She looks me dead straight in the eye while adroitly fielding a volley of questions the Dia of old would vacillate over. Especially the one where I ask her if her decision to play Max was a calculated move to veer away from her girl-next-door persona. "No character I choose to play is a calculation. I do a film if it excites me. Acid Factory is a high-octane thriller with an ensemble cast, wherein the characters are dueling against each other in a deadly battle for survival."

Speaking of an ensemble cast, this one has her pitted against six guys - Fardeen Khan, Danny Denzongpa, Manoj Bajpai, Aftab Shivdasani, Dino Morea and Irrfan Khan. So, what was it being the only girl in a seemingly out and out guy movie? "It can be exasperating and exhilarating in the same breath! Exasperating because when the boys get together they can get really carried away and exhilarating because when you finally get down to doing a shot and you are alongside them, the energy is fantastic. Also the script is so cleverly written, coupled with the fact that I'm the only woman amidst all these men is highly invigorating." On a more personal note, besides her alleged link-up with actor Kunal Kapoor, these have been lonely times for her, right? "I will be in a relationship the day I am ready to share my life with someone. I don't wish to date somebody out of a need to be with someone."

It's been almost a decade for her in the movies - eight years to be precise. Have there been any regrets along the way? "I look at the last eight years as the most enriching phase of my life. I started out clueless about practically everything with regard to the workings of the film industry. All I had at the time was a few beauty titles, confidence, and enthusiasm. I made a few ridiculous mistakes in the beginning, but I must admit that those mistakes could easily be the best things to have happened to me. I learnt lot of lessons the hard way and I am still learning." And where does Dia hope to see herself five years down the line? Exploring yet another parallel dimension of her personality, perhaps? "Five years from now, it will be film direction for me. I have this incredible desire to explore the unexplored!"

Dia Mirza sizzles in Acid Factory

In Bollywood, where the frame of fame and fortune changes with every Friday, there are very few who can actually live upto their name. Dia Mirza is definitely one of them! After having set afire many films with her powerful performances, she is all set to blaze the screen once again with her forthcoming flick Acid Factory. Dia will be seen in a glam-chic avatar in the film.

The credit goes to none other than Nikhil Mehra, of the famous Nikhil-Shantanu duo, who, at the behest of a brief given by Sanjay Gupta, has given Dia a very structured, sexy and an action-oriented look. Of all her outfits in the film, we strongly feel that the highlight should be her flaming red dress, which simply stuns the onlooker at the mere sight.

As for Nikhil, he, today, is a man who is far more just satisfied as he says that Dia simply loves these dresses and that she has been working like dog to do full justice to the outfits. On his own admission, Nikhil says that Dia looks hotter than ever before in Acid Factory, and a little peek-a-boo on the red outfit 'reveals' that it's a gown with a slit showing off her legs and a gun-thigh strap; something which is slightly inspired by Sin City. There's also another look where she wears a well-fitting jackets while the dress has a provocative neckline.

Well, looking at this hot Bollywood actress, all we can say is 'Dia's attire will surely have the whole country on fire.