TNN
Mumbai, Feb 2: And we just couldn’t stop laughing. Wondering what we are talking about. When we asked actor Lara Dutta about her career in 2008, she said, “A super busy year but no one will believe. Unfortunately there is nothing to show.” But then this year will be different.
Lara has a huge line of impressive movies coming up in 2009 — Billu Barber, Banda yeh bindaas hai, Blue and Do not Disturb. Inspite of having a full fledged role in SRK’s production Billu Barber, she is hardly seen in the promos. “I don’t interfere in the marketing strategy of a film. In a male dominated tinsel world, where the female actors are only adding glamour or glorifying the hero’s existence in the film, you have to be happy that you added value to an interesting product like Billu Barber.”
Her friendship with actor Dino Morea has generated much interest but she still continues to maintain a dignified silence. Lara maintains that she shares a wonderful friendship with Dino because they have known each other since they were in school. “We have known each other since I was five years old. So just because people want me to proclaim my friendship with him and shout from the rooftop, I am not going to do it. There is certainly no wedding happening here. You need to find a partner who supports you emotionally. I am yet to come across a person like that.”
Next, you ask her about the ‘camps’ in Bollywood and why isn’t she a part of any camp? “There are no permanent friendships or enemies in Bollywood. The stakes are too high here to have a friend because the next minute he would be backslapping you. Stardom gets you a table in a five-star hotel but it can really drive you insane. So I prefer to have the same set of people in my life than change them. I am not a very pushy person so I am not visible.”
Now Lara has discovered a new passion for scriptwriting. She has penned some three scripts for films and emphasises that they are not “woman-oriented subjects. If I pen women oriented subjects, none of the hot selling men in the industry will work for me.” She also tells us about her adventures in the Bahamas whilst shooting for Blue with Sanjay Dutt and Akshay Kumar. “I became a certified diver and swam with the sharks, dolphins, wild turtles and dolphins. Initially I was really scared of diving in, but then I realised that it is a myth that all sharks attack humans as soon as they see them. It was awe-inspiring.”
Lara shakes her head when we ask her if she would want to be a part of international projects. “A 3-4 minute scene in the film does not really excite me. It would be interesting to work in a European film instead. There are few actors like Hale Berry or Penelope Cruz who get to do interesting roles.” She appears perfectly fine about her “not really interested in being called sexy because it is more fun with the guys, when you are one of them. I like this ‘tomboy’ image that the guys have coined for me. After a while, it becomes boring to be just an ‘object of affection’ for the guys. That’s the reason why I just love spending time with Akki, Sallu, Sanju and my other co-stars. They make me do all sort of naughty things.” And right now, Lara is loving the way life is moving.