College romances and first loves have been depicted one too many times in Hindi films. Mature romances, however, are few and far between. Which is why Lara Dutta believes that her latest release, Ishq-E-Nadaan, comes as a breath of fresh air. “It’s not about couples finding their first love. I’m glad we moved on from that in the 1970s, but then, we regressed so badly [in the last few decades],” begins the actor.

Through three couples —essayed by Neena Gupta and Kanwaljit Singh, Dutta and Mohit Raina, and Shriya Pilgaonkar and Suhail Nayyar—the Jio Cinema offering studies the different shades of love. Dutta’s track sees her as a rich, glamorous woman who falls in love with a hotel executive, thus exploring a romance between two people from different socio-economic strata.

“The three tracks are realistic and mature love stories. [The core] is that all of us deserve to be given a second chance in life and love. That sentiment is more realistic than the idea of love conquering all.” 

The actor doesn’t subscribe to the love-can-conquer-all notion. That’s too much of a “rose-tinted view” for her liking. “Love can make life a great deal better, but it doesn’t have to be only romantic love. Many times, we pin our happiness on the [idea of] finding a perfect partner, and stop focusing on our remaining relationships that are equally fulfilling.”

Her love story with former tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi is for keeps. The two have been married for 12 years. Asked the secret to a successful marriage, Dutta says, “The cornerstones for it are mutual respect, and understanding where the other person is coming from. Both Mahesh and I are alpha human beings, we are self-made people. So, we became the wind beneath each other’s wings, and our daughter [Saira] is our top priority.”