Dia Mirza broke down during a panel discussion on climate change at the Jaipur Literature Festival. In a video shared by news agency ANI, the actor tearfully addressed the audience urging them to embrace their emotions. “Don't hold back from being an empath. Don't be afraid of shedding your tears. Feel it, feel the full extent of everything. It's good. It gives us strength. It does. And this is not a performance,” she said.
When asked later on what led to her emotional response, Dia said that she had been deeply affected by the news of the death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, who were killed in a chopper crash on 26 January.
“My day started really well yesterday... At around 3 (early morning), this news alert came on my phone for a very big player, NBA player, who I followed for a while,” she said.
“His chopper crashing in California disturbed me. It really upset me. There are different things that upset us on different days, but we take care of ourselves. I was overwhelmed because my blood pressure was low,”she added.
Kobe Bryant and his 13-year old daughter Gianna Maria Onore Bryant were among the nine people killed when the helicopter they were travelling in crashed in the hills above Calabasas in California. His death has been mourned by millions around the world including LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Justin Timberlake, Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta.
(With inputs from ANI)
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