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Got the elan
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The camera may have caught her acute angles, but Lara Dutta remains charged to perform
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UNUSUAL VOICE, unusual looks, unusual height — a queen who treaded the usual path, the path that starts from a cantonment, takes a gala break at a pageant before arriving at the most popular destination of the country — Bollywood — via some bracing up in the regional versions that dot the Deccan. Aishwarya, Sushmita, Priyanka and of course Lara Dutta, all have charted the same route, plus-minus one or two stoppages. Strange similarity?
"Indeed. What happens when you come from a Force background, discipline comes naturally to you, which is a must for the show business. Then, parents do not force extra-curricular activities, they are part of life in the cantonment area. And once you have won a crown, after completing a year of activities, you find there is nothing as big and yes, as glitzy to do in India, except for films and politics. I think I am too young for politics, so I opted for films," reflects Lara.
Substantial role
So how does the queen, known more for her elegance than substance, rate her performance in the journey? "Certainly performance is the word I am looking for. After a long time - I think after Andaaz — in Jurm, I have got a performance-oriented role. Sanjana is one character that is closer to the real me. For a change, here, the boy chases the girl. Love blossoms, but the man — Avinash — becomes so obsessive about his love that he starts seeing negativity in his wife's character, which is not there. In the meantime, the girl gets murdered, and Avinash becomes the main suspect. From here on, the suspense part takes over."
Talking of performance, Elan, Lara's last brush with the silver screen, is hardly any indication of her fascination with the word. "Sometimes what you see in the script is not there in the final print. I signed Elan because it provided me the opportunity to do action sequences in sub-zero temperatures. I wanted to go through the physically strenuous experience."
The debacle of Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost notwithstanding, Lara hasn't given up on her efforts to play the common Indian girl. "It took me three months to come out of the character I played in Mumbai Se... . Unfortunately such roles are hardly being written these days. You have to agree, glamour sells today. I did a very sober role in Bardaasht as well, but the film didn't do well. However, I haven't given up. In No Entry, a comedy, I am playing an ever-suspicious Punjabi housewife." In search of big banners, Lara is also in Karan Johar's multi-starrer Kaal. That motion pictures have exposed her weaker angles, which stills hid, doesn't bother her.
Special friendship
That Priyanka Chopra has reached a different level doesn't hurt her. Recalling the other two who shared the world's beauty crowns that year, she avers, "Priyanka, Dia and I were never competitors. Both are special to me. We have won our shares of sky."
In the meantime, Lara keeps fulfilling promises she made from the Miss Universe stage. She is working with UNIFEM. "We are collecting money for Tsunami victims. Again I feel, given the reach of cricketers and film stars in the country, it is their duty to come forward for causes, even if they do not understand the basics of the issues." And unlike many others, Lara asserts she doesn't charge anything for making an appearance for a cause. That's like a real model!
ANUJ KUMAR
Photo: Rajeev Bhatt.
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