Diya Mirza says she was very unhappy as a child as she suffered from low self-esteem.

Her parents had to teach her self-respect, Mirza, a beauty queen and model turned actress, said in an interview with The Times of India on Tuesday.

"I hated everything about myself, my looks, my hair, even my name," she said.

"I always looked for approval from my peer group and, in return, was treated like a doormat," she added.

Mirza said her parents instilled confidence in her own abilities and encouraged her to be independent and self-sufficient.

"It was only years later that I finally came into my own," said Mirza.

"I would have never survived in the industry as a pushover," she added.

The actress said she would like to help children like herself.

"I want to help kids realise the immense potential within, which in turn helps set us free, exorcising our demons, giving us wings," she said.

Mirza has acted in 16 movies since her 2001 debut. Her most recent movies include Phir Hera Pheri and Lage Raho Munnabhai.