Midweek Motivation

Actress Dia Mirza goes Insta live with celebrities every Wednesday. She kickstarts #DownToEarthWithDee with Zoya Akhtar and Shreya Ghoshal

How can we in our own individual capacities find a way to remember that we're all deeply connected to nature? What we do to nature, is what we are in fact doing to ourselves", that is how actor Dia Mirza started her Instagram live conversations on Wednesday. Titled #DownToEarthWithDee, this tryst with Instagram is one of the 'things-to-do' that Dia had planned post the lockdown announcement. The actress is known to make the best of every given minute in the day, and hopes that her latest band with social media, can help her highlight a lot of people who are "acknowledging what a big difference it makes to live in awe and admiration of nature because we now have the time to stay at home and reflect."

Two of her first guests on Wednesday were filmmaker and storyteller Zoya Akhtar, a dear friend of the 'Kaafir' actor, followed by singer Shreya Ghoshal, who she has had longstanding ties with in the industry.

Dia's first conversation with Zoya dwelt on a number of things, from their shared love for nature to how they are both dealing with the lockdown. On choosing Zoya as her first artist on #DownToEarthWithDee, Dia said, "Zoya and I have been talking wildlife, conservation, ecological balance, stories and more for years! She is one of the most well-informed, empathetic, passionate, fun, articulate and talented people I know."

During the chat, Zoya elaborated on how the artists community is always deeply affected by circumstances and is responsible for sharing observations of life and feelings through all mediums of their expressions. "This lockdown is going to alter the world. We will witness these shared experiences permeate into our narratives. " the filmmaker said.

Zoya as we discovered during this free wheeling conversation was amongst the first director/producers to make her productions 'single use plastics' free.

Dia's second chat friend was singer Shreya Ghoshal whom the actor has collaborated with numerous times in her career. "Shreya is an incredible artist and human being who has brought so much joy to our lives with her amazing voice. She is also someone who has always made time for wildlife and nature," Dia informed the thousands who had tuned in to hear her.

Ghoshal shared a few insights into her early days, "Owing to my childhood spent in a little township of Rajasthan, I am very grateful for the peace and minimalism I experienced which made my musical sense better. From the rustling of trees to the sound of the wind, the animals and birds. It Is something I definitely miss now that I live in Mumbai." Commenting on the current scenario, she added, "With the lockdown, people are realizing that nature has always been here and we have just stopped listening and looking". Shreya Ghosal is one among several amazing singers who gave voice to a WILD ANTHEM - MERE DESH KI ZAMEEN that Dia produced in 2018. The anthem continues to be watched and listened to with awe across schools, universities in India.

Dia has lined up some fascinating guests for her Wednesday rendezvous - all of whom share a common love for nature. She believes the discussions on #DownToEarthWithDee will inspire people as they foster a relationship with nature. "I hope these conversations on #DownToEarthWithDee every Wednesday will help all those seeking ways to live in better harmony with nature despite living in cities. I hope they find some magic, inspiration and solutions in our conversations,'' the actor-producer said.