BOMBAY TIMES (March 31, 2019)

Lara Dutta has always lived life on her own terms. “From the day that I entered the industry, I’ve hated being labelled. So, all my efforts have always been about doing something new,” she tells us. The actress, who forayed into production a while ago, has now turned entrepreneur with a beauty range that she soon plans to expand. Excerpts from an interview with BT on her plans...

Of late, you have been very selective about your acting assignments. Are you planning to turn full-time producer?
Life has changed over the last few years; my priorities have changed and things have been different on the professional front as well. I have moved from being just an actor to being a producer, and it’s not your usual ‘actress-producer’ tag. I didn’t want to make films in which I was acting. The move to be a producer was triggered by the fact that there was so much incredible material available. I’ve loved reading all my life — I have vociferously read books, newspapers and magazines and in the process, I came across these incredible stories that I felt strongly about. That’s why, in the past two years, I have curated material in an attempt to find the right medium for every story. I won’t say that I am just a producer; once an actress, always an actress and even at the age of 60, if you put me in front of the camera, I would be happy.

As an actress, is the transition also happening in terms of the platform where you perform? You have worked on Gurinder Chadha’s international TV show Beecham House...
That opportunity came out of the blue, when Gurinder asked me if I would be interested in playing Begum Samru. It’s a character I have followed and loved for many years. I shot for the show in Jaipur last year and we will premiere internationally on April 7. It’s the first time I’ve done something in English. Though most people thought that my orientation was there rather than in Hindi cinema, it took me 14 years to get there (laughs!). Working in a medium and set-up that’s different from films has been very interesting.

Does that mean that you will not act in Hindi movies now?
Of course, I will. In fact, we had planned a sequel to Chalo Dilli, titled Chalo China. Eros and I owned the IP on that project equally, and we had completed a lot of work on that film, but because of some unavoidable reasons, it got buried for a while. But now, the project has been revived. I hadn’t thought of starring in a movie this year, but Chalo China is happening and it's a fun film, especially for the loyal fans of Chalo Dilli. To put it simply, Chalo China is like Chalo Dilli on steroids (laughs!). Both Vinay (Pathak) and I are reprising our roles and it’ll be a bigger and more entertaining experience.

Are you also looking at platforms like TV and the digital space as a producer?
I was lucky enough to step into production even before the digital revolution began, so my company already had content that could be formatted for different platforms. Currently, we have a fantastic series that we are doing internationally, in collaboration with a big production company in the US. Its subject is sensitive and also relevant to the current global scenario. We’ve got the rights to the book, The Meadow, written by two award-winning journalists, Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark. The series has been a huge learning experience for us as small independent producers from India. It’s been a whole new world, the way they work in the West. In Bollywood, work relationships are very personal, and everyone adjusts, but overseas, everything is done by the book. Timelines are sacrosanct, and you have to have your paperwork in place before you begin shooting. Apart from production, I am also doing a series of interviews with new-generation, pathbreaking and influential young entrepreneurs for a UAE-based network. The shoot for that chat show will kick-start this month.

Apart from the Chalo Dilli sequel, is there any other film that you’re looking to produce? There was news last year that you are producing a film on the women’s basketball team from Chhattisgarh…
Yes, we have the rights to that project and we’re attempting it as an international film, the same way Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire was made. Basically, it’s stories that originate from India, but are meant to reach a wider audience around the world. We also have another film, Kahin Door, which is being directed by Sushil Rajpal, who is a National Award-winning filmmaker. It was meant to be a smaller film, but it’s become bigger now. We now have a bigger actor attached to the project.

Women are constantly working towards breaking the glass ceiling, especially in cinema. As a producer, what is your career aim?
In Bollywood, everybody waits for an announcement of actors signing films with top production houses. So, my focus is to make a production house that slowly builds itself and becomes that big. At some point of time, it won’t be about who I am working with or signing on for a movie, but about our production house creating acclaimed content and building that kind of prestige in the industry. That’s what I want to build my way towards. Also, maybe be it’s a little premature, but I know from within that I want to be a director. I feel that’s going to happen sooner or later.

Are you on a quest to reinvent yourself?
The quest isn’t about reinvention as much as it is about growth. Every new decade in your life will bring you new goals. I don’t see myself as reinventing the old Lara. I just never looked back. I have never rested on the laurel that 19 years ago, I won the Miss Universe title. For the last five years, I’ve been mentoring beauty pageant contestants with the Times of India, to help them achieve their dreams and goals, but I’ve never rested on past glory. What I like about myself the most is that I’ve changed considerably in the last 19 years as a person. Today, when I look back, it feels like that was somebody else’s life. From the day that I entered the industry, I’ve hated being labelled. So, all my efforts have always been about doing something new. I may be articulate, but if my opinion doesn’t add value to a situation, I see no point in opening my mouth. I would rather focus on things that make a difference to me and my life. That is why I spent the last few years creating my own brand, Arias. It’s part of something I am doing with Mahesh (Bhupathi, husband) and it’s part of a larger plan. Arias Skin Care is something that I’ve worked on for the last few years, making sure that we formulate the best products that we can give the Indian market. The idea essentially stems from the fact that international cosmetic and skin-care brands don’t create anything specific for Indian skin types or climatic conditions. I have used products from around the world and I know that there’s nothing tailormade for us. Arias is going to be launched at the beauty world trade fair in Dubai, in mid-April, corresponding with my birthday. But that’s just the beginning of the brand. In the consequent months, Arias will encompass other products like clothing, furniture and more. It’s a bit scary because there is massive amount of input that goes into creating something like this.

You recently posted about your eighth marriage anniversary on social media. Does personal life take a backseat when you dedicate time to your entrepreneurial dreams?
It doesn’t feel like eight years at all. Actually, it’s been eight years of marriage and two years of knowing Mahesh before that, so it’s been 10 years in total. I think it was a shock for both of us that we’ve been together for a decade. Time has flown by and it’s been good fun being by Mahesh's side. Our little kid, Saira, takes up all our energy that’s left... Life’s busy and it’s all good as both Mahesh and I try to be good parents.

How valuable is the support of your husband and family, especially when you’re out there pursuing your ambitions?
I come from humble beginnings. I didn’t have a dad who had bags of money and the disposition that, ‘Jao beta, jo tumhe karna hai karo. I'll finance whatever you want to do in life’. Not having that creates a hunger within you to succeed at all cost. I also married a man who was self-made and came from a similar background. Mahesh has always pushed me hard to achieve more. He sees my potential and what I am capable of doing. I always tell him and myself that I never want to sit at home doing nothing, because I would drive him and myself mad. I love challenging myself and putting myself in situations which seem to be beyond my capabilities. I never saw myself being an entrepreneur; in fact, I wanted to be a journalist. I wanted to be a war correspondent just like my idol, Christiane Amanpour. That’s the kind of stories that I wanted to tell and now, that’s what I am doing.

Last year, when the #MeToo movement took Bollywood by storm, you and Mahesh were vocal in your support of the campaign...
Last year saw some great conversations in the film industry. The #MeToo movement and the discussions on gender disparity, in terms of remuneration and opportunities, have brought many truths out in the open. Talking about these things also brings a lot of backlash, because at the end of the day, the film industry operates on personal equations. So, taking a stand on such subjects can fetch some amount of backlash, but when Mahesh and I took a stand on the #MeToo movement, we were supported by most quarters. When it comes to pay parity between men and women, there are girls in the industry who can initiate conversations and make a difference, but they don’t do so. My only request to all the women in the film industry is that when you take up a cause, whether it’s #MeToo or pay parity, we should follow it regardless of where the stick falls, on our side or the other. It’s important to support the cause regardless of the outcome.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; March 26, 2015)


Singh Is Bliing will see her teaming up with Akshay Kumar again after Bhagam Bhag and Housefull. “Akshay was the first reason I said yes to the film,” says Lara. Though she doesn’t divulge her role in the film, the leggy beauty says that it’s in a genre that she enjoys. “I have done comedy before, but this takes it to another level. You will see me playing a character that I have never essayed before. It is challenging,” says Lara.

As for Fitoor, it is common knowledge that it is based on Charles Dicken’s classic novel Great Expectations. While the characters of Katrina Kaif, Rekha and Aditya Roy Kapur are taken from the book, Lara’s character doesn’t exist in the novel. “It’s a new character introduced in the film, so it better be under wraps,” she grins.

Ask her about the delay in Chalo China, the sequel to Chalo Dilli and she says, “It’s Eros’ call when they want to go on the floor.” But weren’t there reports about the film being stuck due to lack of financiers as it will be shot abroad? “No, everything from the pre-production to the music is ready,” quips Lara.

The actress has just lent her name to the Fair & Lovely Foundation for women empowerment. Says Lara, “Ever since I became Miss Universe, I have been working towards gender equality. I was the goodwill ambassador for United Nations and it was important for me to find something that aligns with my thought process. For the last 10 years, this foundation has not only given scholarships to girls (for education), but has started funding their vocational training and start-ups. I was excited to meet these girls from various parts of the country.”

Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; October 10, 2014)

Chalo China, the sequel to Lara Dutta’s maiden home production, Chalo Dilli ( 2011), was supposed to go on the floors in April next year with shoot schedules planned in Thailand, Malaysia and China. However, fund crunch seems to have played spoilsport and the makers are presently looking out for financers.

An industry source reveals, “The film has to be shot in multiple locations across three Asian countries, which requires a big budget. So, the shoot has been postponed indefinitely and the production team is looking for financers right now. As and when the financers come on board, the shoot will start.”

Another source says that there is more to the budget issues. “Lara and her husband, Mahesh Bhupathi, are planning to produce a cookery show on television, which is also a reason behind the delay in starting the shoot,” the source adds.

While the star cast of Chalo Dilli remains the same for its sequel, the original director, Shashant Shah, has been replaced by Shashanka Ghosh. Chalo Dilli was wrapped up within 33 days with only a three-day break.

The sequel, too, will be on the fast track once it get rolling. It will be jointly produced by Lara’s Bheegi Basanti Entertainment, Bhupathi’s Big Daddy Productions and Eros.

Garima Sharma (BOMBAY TIMES; September 19, 2014)

Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 24, 2014)

Three years after her first home production, Chalo Dilli, released, on April 29, 2011, Lara Dutta is getting ready to roll with its sequel.

“Chalo China will be shot in multiple locations across Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia and China. This film is not set in India,” informs the actress.

Lara’s character, the very ‘propah’ investment banker from Mumbai, Mihika Banerjee, who en route to meet her husband Akshay Kumar is forced to take to the road with an unlikely travelling companion, will return in all her manicured glory in the sequel. "We'll maintain Mihika's look and presentation," says the actress.

Vinay Pathak too will return as Manu Gupta, the loud sari seller who is a quintessential Dilliwallah. “I had put on 15 kgs for the earlier film, this time I’m almost there. Manu is not Milkha Singh so he can be of any shape or size. Even if he weren’t obese and moustached, you’d still know it was him,"says Vinay, adding that after the cult hit Bheja Fry, he was deliberately looking to play a character that was not a stock comic and found him in Manu who enjoys street food and budget travel .

While the lead actors haven’t changed, the original director Shashant Shah has been replaced by Shashanka Ghosh.

“All three of us worked together in a music channel. After Chalo Dilli, Shashant wasn’t keen on doing a sequel and Shashanka had an idea for one. We started work on Chalo China a little over a year ago. Mahesh (tennis ace and Lara’s husband Mahesh Bhupathi), Lara and I overlooked a couple of scripts before arriving at this one. We've been working on it for a while and we're just polishing it. It offers a different and fresh take on the earlier tale.”

Like the first film, Chalo China is being produced by Mahesh’s banner Big Daddy Productions, Lara’s Bheegi Basanti Entertainment and Eros International. Chalo Dilli was wrapped up in a start-to-finish 33-day schedule with only a three-day break. Its sequel too will be on the fast track once it rolls in March-April.

Will we see Mahesh making a special appearance? “No, Mahesh is not in the film,” says Lara, shrugging off talks of a franchise,“We haven’t thought of further sequels yet. I’m working with outside banners, but I will be able to share any information on them according to the timelines of the projects.”