Dia Mirza broke down during a discussion at the Jaipur Literature Festival.

Actor Dia Mirza broke down during a discussion on climate change at the Jaipur Literature Festival on Monday.

"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, refusing to take a paper napkin when offered.

#WATCH Actor Dia Mirza breaks down while speaking at the 'climate emergency' session during Jaipur Literature Festival; she says, "Don't hold back from being an empath". (27.1.20) pic.twitter.com/fyAgH3giL9 — ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2020

On being asked later about what made her emotional, Ms Mirza said, "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 was referring to the death of American basketball icon Kobe Bryant who was killed along with his teenage daughter in a helicopter crash in California.

"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 a helicopter they were travelling in crashed amid foggy conditions and burst into flames in the hills above Calabasas.