Dia Mirza Mortgaged Her First Home to Make Bobby Jasoos, Says She Paid Vidya Balan a Career-Best Salary

Dia Mirza has revealed that she took a bank loan and mortgaged the first home she purchased to ensure Bobby Jasoos was made after the film’s financiers pulled out. The actor-producer also said she was determined to pay lead actor Vidya Balan well because she was carrying the film.

Dia Mirza has opened up about one of the biggest financial risks of her career: putting her own home on the line to make Bobby Jasoos.

The actor, who transitioned into film production after establishing herself as an actor, recalled how the financing for the 2014 Vidya Balan-led film collapsed shortly before production. Rather than abandon the project, Dia said she secured a bank loan and mortgaged her first home to keep the film moving.

Her account also sheds light on the financial challenges women producers can face when attempting to back female-led stories in an industry where major production and financing decisions have historically been dominated by men.

Dia Mirza Says Financiers Pulled Out of Bobby Jasoos

Dia made her Bollywood debut with Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein in 2001 and later moved into film production.

By the time she decided to back Bobby Jasoos, the project already had a substantial creative foundation in place. According to Dia, the film had been written, the team had been assembled and Vidya Balan had committed her dates.

Speaking to SheThePeople, Dia recalled the pressure she faced when the expected financial backing suddenly disappeared.

She said that studios and financiers withdrew from the project, leaving the team with an important decision: either find another way to fund the film or abandon it.

Dia said she chose the former.

“So, I took a bank loan, and I mortgaged my home, and we made the film we wanted to make.”

She described the decision as one she remains proud of and said she believes the finished film featured some strong performances.

Why Vidya Balan Was Central to the Film

Bobby Jasoos revolved around a woman with ambitions of becoming a detective, with Vidya Balan playing the title character.

At the time, Vidya was already an established leading actor with a series of notable performances behind her. Her credits included films such as Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Heyy Babyy, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, No One Killed Jessica, The Dirty Picture and Kahaani.

Dia recalled that securing Vidya for the project was particularly meaningful because the entire film depended heavily on her performance.

She said the team had already secured dates from an actor she greatly respected and admired before the financial support disappeared.

The producer therefore did not want the project’s financing crisis to undermine the commitment made to its lead performer.

Dia Says She Paid Vidya Balan ‘One of Her Career’s Best Salaries’

Dia also made a point about remuneration in women-led films.

According to the actor-producer, she ensured that Vidya received her full agreed remuneration despite the production’s financial difficulties. Dia went further, saying she believed the actor was paid one of the best salaries of her career at the time.

Her reasoning was directly connected to the film’s dependence on its leading actor.

“The whole film was centred on her, and I think it’s so important to recognise that if a male counterpart were doing the same, we would pay him handsomely. So, why not pay our women handsomely?”

The comment highlights a broader issue around how female-led projects and their performers are valued financially compared with male-led commercial films.

Bobby Jasoos Put a Woman Detective at the Centre

Directed by Samar Shaikh, Bobby Jasoos was released in 2014 with Vidya Balan in the lead.

The film followed Bobby, a woman determined to become a professional detective, as she takes on assignments while trying to establish herself in the field.

The project was notable for placing a female protagonist at the centre of a story built around investigation and detective work, with Vidya taking on a character that required multiple disguises and transformations.

For Dia, however, getting the film to the screen required more than assembling a cast and crew. Her recollection shows how personally invested she became in protecting the project when its financing fell apart.

Dia Mirza’s Risk as a Producer

Mortgaging a primary residence to finance a film represents a substantial personal financial commitment. In Dia’s telling, the decision came after the original financiers withdrew rather than as part of the project’s initial financing plan.

Her story also illustrates one of the less visible risks involved in independent film production: a project can have a completed script, an assembled creative team and a committed lead actor, yet still face a funding crisis before cameras roll.

For Bobby Jasoos, Dia chose to take on that risk herself.

Years after its release, she continues to describe the film with pride, particularly for the performances it brought together and the opportunity it created for a woman-led story.