Actor-dancer Lauren Gottlieb, who married long-time partner, London-based creative Tobias Jones, on June 11 in Italy, admits she’s still adjusting to this new chapter in her life.

“It still feels very new. I keep stumbling and saying ‘my fiancé,’ and then I catch myself — ‘Oh wait, my husband.’ I’m getting used to the term ‘Mrs’. It’s surreal but also grounding,” she tells us.

Their love story had an unconventional start. “Everyone thinks I slid into his DMs to flirt,” she says, adding, “But I was looking to collaborate with artistes on visual effects content. I saw a video he had created and thought, ‘That’s exactly the kind of work I want to do.’”

Fate intervened when work brought Lauren to London. “I had booked not just one but two jobs there. It was meant to be,” says the 37-year-old.

It was during this time that their dynamic shifted. “It was Tobias who confessed his feelings first,” she recalls. “We were shooting something together when he took my hand and said, ‘I love you.’ I knew then that life might get more complicated — more cities, more distance — but I had always wanted real, true love.”

Her parents were initially cautious. Lauren explains, “I think they were just waiting to meet him. He wasn’t trying to impress anyone, he was unapologetically himself. Once they saw that, they were in. My parents have always said it’s going to take a very special person to be with me. I’m a lot — I’m spicy, high energy. And he gets me.”

Looking ahead, Lauren reveals plans to celebrate with friends who couldn’t attend the Italian wedding. “There is definitely going to be a party to celebrate our wedding,” she confirms. “My Indian friends couldn’t attend the wedding in Italy, which was sad. I want to do something special here.”

American dancer and actress Lauren Gottlieb, who started her Bollywood journey with ABCD: Any Body Can Dance and was seen in a number of Hindi films, is emotional and excited at the same time as she’s set to perform to RRR’s Naatu Naatu at the Oscars on Sunday night in LA. The song has been nominated in the Best Original Song category this year.

Talking to BT from the US, Lauren said, “I was on hold for five days. The creatives kept changing, so they weren’t able to officially confirm. I was in Paris when I gotthe final confirmation and the next thing I did was rush to LA and buy a few weeks of rehearsal clothes (laughs). Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo, who are choreographing the song for the big night, are my friends. Before I began my career in India, I was assisting them on big stage shows in Hollywood. They reached out to me with this offer. Today, when I was in the middle of rehearsals, I got emotional thinking about how much representing India at the Oscars means to me. I feel so proud and I just hope everyone feels the same when they see it.”

Ask Lauren if she’s nervous about performing on such a prestigious platform and she says, “Strangely, I’m not nervous at all! However, I do think that on the day of the show it will feel different, especially, standing on stage knowing we are live around the world. For now, I’m focused on what I need to prepare and that’s acing my dance steps, doing rounds of costume and hair/ make-up trials, and resting my body after long days of rehearsals. I just want to soak in each and every moment of this experience.”

Lauren is a big fan of RRR and also the dance number. She says, “The first time I watched the film was last year at my aunt’s house in India. We both started dancing like crazy. So, when I got the call for the Oscars, I called her up and asked her if she remembered how we danced to the song in her house and then broke the news to her that I was performing to this song on the biggest stage in the world.”

She signs off saying, “I think the odds of Naatu Naatu winning are huge. I will dance like crazy backstage if they win!”

Lauren says, “The choreographers wanted to stay as close to Naatu Naatu’s steps as possible. We had to adapt certain things to fit the stage. I spoke to the team about my experiences living and working in India and how dance is such an important part of Indian culture. On the first day of rehearsals, we learned the choreography, and on the second day, I insisted that we take the sharpness of our western style down by a few notches and dance with our heart and soul, which also meant focusing a lot on facial expressions the way we do it in India. I even insisted the male lead dancers lip sync to the song.”

Lauren Gottlieb, 26, is a dancer, choreographer and actor who has trained the likes of Tom Cruise and Tobey Maguire in dance. She is real, has a pure heart and cares for others. She is blunt like most Americans and considers herself an honest and happy person. She has had three serious relationships, but not with any Indian so far. She is a multitasker with amazing work ethics as she always wants to go beyond what is expected of her and aspires to work with the multi-talented Farhan Akhtar, who inspires her. Ahead of her upcoming comedy Welcome 2 Karachi, she talks to Bombay Times about what Salman Khan told her on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, her love for her parents and how even though Remo D'Souza brought her to India, he is not her mentor. Excerpts:

Talk about your background?
I am from the US and grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona. Scottsdale is an upper class city that is very well put together and pristine. There is never any trash on the road and it's almost like a model town. I always knew that I wanted to go to Hollywood, so just like many kids in the US, I skipped college and two days after graduating from high school, that was on my eighteenth birthday, I moved to LA. Right from the age of seven, I had learnt all forms of dance and that is all I knew. My professional life as a dancer had already started so even when I was in school, I would often fly to LA for my work and come back to school the next day. I struggled initially in Hollywood a lot as it's really difficult to break into the SAG (Screen Actors Guild), which is essential if you want to do big shows or movies. In LA, I moved with a girlfriend of mine. I got my first big break on America's biggest dance show that was aired across every single country of the world So You Think You Can Dance. I didn't even know the night before that I was going to audition for it. I got selected and it turned out to be life changing. I struggled in the show and was that person where you are put always at the bottom struggling your way to the top. I was constantly under pressure and was killing myself though no one knew that as I am a very bubbly person on the surface. Also, I was just 18, so I would say anything that came to my mind, without any filters. I learnt the hard way on the show but could not take the pressure. The good thing was that I came to know every director and choreographer, so it opened me up to the entertainment industry. I also learnt lighting and direction and got into acting and hosting and started taking acting classes. I did TV shows and did guest star shows and movies, where I danced along with small roles with a few scenes. The big difference between Hollywood and Bollywood was that I was wanting to move into acting and in Hollywood, you can't do both as that culture does not exist there where you can both dance and act.

But are the stars there good dancers?
No one would know as they don't dance.

How did you get your first break in Bollywood?
I was in the process of giving up dance and get into acting. One day, I was very upset as one of my best friends had bagged the role in the Step Up movie that I had been trying for and that had been my dream job. I was bawling and was devastated. Even though my manager kept consoling me and I wanted to be happy for her, my ego did not allow that. It was only after four hours that I finally managed to shift my energy and was deeply excited for my friend from my inner heart and that's when at 4 in the morning I got an email that Remo D'Souza had seen me in So You Think You Can Dance and decided that he wanted to bring me to Bollywood and offered me the lead role in ABCD. I knew when I managed to give up my ego and shift my energies and that very time the gates opened up for me. I woke up my parents at 4 in the morning and they pretty much slapped me and they said, 'What are you saying? Go back to bed.' But I just knew that I had to come.

Talk about your parents?
My dad calls me 'sweet one' and mom 'wild woman'. I am a Gemini and have these two sides where I am very sweet but insanely wild. My dad is a mortgage broker and my mom has a jewellery line. They are not well off. The mortgage industry is what caused the whole crash in 2008. He organised loans for people to buy homes. My dad is so real and the most amazing person I have met in my life. He has the cleanest heart, has the cleanest intentions and will never speak a lie and will never steer you in the wrong direction. He is just a good man. A husband will be difficult for me to find as I think of my dad and lose it. All these loans were given to people who were walking away from their obligations and that is what my dad did not do. So, when people were walking away from their commitments, my dad ate through his savings and went bankrupt. This happened just after I had moved to LA. So, I had no money and they had no money.

My mom had been a stay-at-home mom since my childhood, but due to us going bankrupt, she went back to work then. I am very close to my parents and on one occasion I had come back home from LA on my dad's birthday and happened to go to her place of work to see what she did. I was devastated to see her work in a kitchen at a hospital. Not that she needed to do something glamourous, but not that. But she had no choice as there was no other work. My older brother is a pilot and is doing very well but he supports only his wife and child. Something happened while growing up where he ended up hating the entertainment industry. So, he didn't agree with what I was doing, and neither understands it nor thinks it's right. He was a really good baseball player and probably would have gone pro, but his coach took that opportunity away from him so he got bitter and still till this day does not support what I do. My younger brother is the kindest and sweetest guy, but he doesn't say much. So neither of my brothers ask me what I am doing even though I am here in India doing these amazing things. I also feel angry that my older brother does not support any of us. So, I am the emotional one in my family and am really attached to both my parents and my whole driving force in my life is to take care of them. It was my dream to be able to buy them a house and I was able to do that a month ago.

Your presence in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa made you a household name. How did that happen?
After shooting ABCD for three months, I went back home and didn't know whether I wanted to come back. I was working in Hollywood, had an apartment there, a career, my dog, my boyfriend, basically a full life. In the meantime, Indian restaurants started opening up next to me, Bollywood films were coming there, Oprah Winfrey went to Bollywood and all these were signs for me. Even though ABCD kept me out of the promotions, I called Remo and decided to come to India. I stayed here for one month and just two days before my visa was expiring, I got offered Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. Had that not happened, I would never have come back. Salman Khan came on the show and said, 'My mother is in love with you. The country is behind you. You are a beautiful woman. You get a few songs under you.' And I told him, 'Sir, I want to act, I didn't come here to dance.' I can make you dance and laugh and get you hot and bothered with my dance, but I wanted to be an actor. Again last year, all of a sudden I was having a dry spell when I signed up for a film that did not happen and had my parents saying every day to me to come back home and I pretty much decided to give up when Sushant Singh Rajput recommended me to choreograph the Calcutta Kiss song in which I finally also featured as a dancer. Working on that was actually my favourite two weeks in India. It is during this time that I got offered the lead role in Welcome 2 Karachi.

Which has been the lowest period of your life?
Emotionally, my parents support me but they really want me home. It's a conflicting thing for me all the time with what I am doing. I see a path but they don't see it as they have not come here and they can't afford to and don't have the time to take off from work. It's a bit conflicting but even though right now it's the highest period of my life and I feel that everything is on the rise, on the back end, it's not. It's too hard to be away from your family. I didn't bring anyone out here. I see people who have their cooks and all the assistance but I am doing everything on my own. Remo may have brought me here but he is not my mentor. I love that I am doing it on my own but it could have been easier had I had someone supporting me. Physically, everything is happening, but emotionally it's tough, I cry every day. I made a name for myself in the US and I made a name for myself in India and it's not a cocky thing, but in my heart, I have the confidence that I have the ability and fighting power to do whatever I want anywhere.

So, do you see yourself living in India in the future?
Every single time in my life when I have been ready to pack up, I have got my next big offer. My parents always tell me that if it's not happening come back home. I feel that I have a spiritual connection with India. I don't know if it has a connection with my past life but in my heart and soul, I feel like an Indian.

One thing that strikes you about Jackky Bhagnani is his honesty. While diplomacy is a card many play in Bollywood, this young actor impresses with his blunt candour. He doesn't shy away from admitting there are more cons than pros when working with his home banner and having faced criticism early on, he's come to terms with many things in life. We meet up with the young actor at his Juhu office as he gears up for the release of his comedy, Welcome 2 Karachi. Lauren Gottlieb, his co-star in the film, also joins in the tête-à-tête...

Jackky, why a mad comedy like Welcome 2 Karachi?
Honestly, I didn't get a chance to choose the film. I got a call from my father about 48 hours before the film started, saying he was in a soup and he needed me to do this film. Another actor was supposed to do it. I was happy that I could do something in return, even if in a small way, for the company and my father. They had backed me like no one has backed anyone. It's an out-and-out comedy about these characters, in the Dumb And Dumber genre. It's a very funny film with clean comedy. The situations make you laugh rather than the gags, slapstick humour or adult and cheap way of making people laugh.

Jackky, how difficult is I comedy for you?
I'd like to believe I'm a funny guy. But doing comedy in front of the camera is an altogether different ball game. It's all about the medium, the timing... if the timing goes off, you can actually come across as boring. So, it's not very easy on camera, especially if you're doing some thing with Arshad Warsi, whose timing is simply superb.

Jackky, did you get to do any preparation for your role?
None. I was told I'm doing this role, I've to speak in a Gujarati accent. I asked for the dialogues and was told I would get them on the set. So, I never got any prep time. Arshad sir has a knack of improving things for the better, he comes up with something new, and if you're not going with the new, you're not going with the best. What we've seen from rushes, it looks unplanned, that's the benefit we are getting which works for a film like this.

Lauren, coming from a dance and choreography background, what made you do this film?
Everything I do is outside my comfort zone. That's the only time in life I realise I can progress and move to the next level. I cried every single day during my first film ABCD because I didn't know the language, couldn't communicate. But because I eventually got through, I got the benefits. When this film was offered to me, though it's a comedy, mine is a serious part. Here I'm straight-faced and cut to the point, which I don't do in normal life.

Lauren, so are you looking at serious acting roles more than dance-related parts?
Dance will never leave me nor will I leave it. When I meet people and talk about dance, their eyes light up. That's a special thing for me, I dance for that look in people's eyes. I will do that for everyone for the rest of my life. I'm trying to find roles outside my comfort zone, to explore something new so I can grow.

Jackky, you're a good dancer too. But just like you had to work towards Arshad's comic timing, did you find it difficult to match to Lauren's dancing steps?
For a change, I won't be modest, I'm a good dancer. Lauren is supreme. The finishing she has is out of the ordinary, I don't have that. She told me a very important thing, to dance on the back end of a beat. Sometimes I'd do that unknowingly, but most of the time, majority of actors rush. Perhaps Hrithik Roshan is the only exception. So yes, I learnt something new from her about dance to make a better impact.

Jackky, what made you sing in the movie?
I haven't sung, but actually I did the rap. That happened because Rochak Kohli suggested it. He wanted a popular rap artiste and I had spoken to Badshah, who's a friend. But he was unwell, so either we wait or we don't go with the rap and do just the music piece. Rochak suggested I should rap. I was like the way you have two left feet in dancing, I had the equivalent of seven left feet in singing. He was keen and insisted, so I said I will try.

Jackky, what do you do more - the gym or dancing?
When I dance, it doesn't feel like gym, but it's still good to keep fit. Dance is my first love and my first teacher was Hrithik. I was in Class IX when Kaho Naa.. Pyaar Hai released. I'd rewind and play his songs to learn his moves. Then I went to my friends and told them I had learnt the snake wave of Hrithik. Since I was fat, they said it didn't look like the snake wave. Maybe it was more of a ripple then.

Jackky, you recently went to Karachi Sweets. Do you often do that on your cheat days?
I'm very strict with my diet because I'm very paranoid in my head. I didn't have the best childhood, in a sense that I had no school friends. I was the butt of jokes because of my weight. After a point in time, it's not funny. There are fun fat guys and boring fat guys. Because of my asthma, I was a boring fat guy. I never want to go back to that stage ever again. In my head, I'm still fat. After that sweet indulgence, I was working it out in the gym for two hours.

Jackky, what's next after Welcome 2 Karachi?
I was just thinking about it. Of all the films I've done, anything I did unplanned like F.A.L.T.U and Youngistaan, worked for me. I didn't want to do a movie with Puja Films for some time, so I can give credit, whether good or bad, to myself. That was also my plan after Youngistaan, but Welcome 2 Karachi happened. So I'm seen purely as an actor.

Jackky, so did you approach other productions to work with them?
Yes, I have approached and auditioned in every possible place. The only difference is that I have struggled in a car and not an autorickshaw. I have come to terms with the truth...if I do a good film like Youngistaan I also have to generate an X amount of box-office numbers to get more work. It's not like other actors that if I perform very well, I will get work on that basis. This I have come to terms with. And it hasn't been easy. The perception outside is that if we give you a role, what is in it for us. People know where I am coming from.

Jackky, what are the pros and cons of working with your father?
Pros, you have a say on the creative, which is great. Cons, there's no pack-up and not just work-wise. If I have to take two days off to Goa and there is work in the office, I can't say my cousin is unwell and I have to go. The responsibility is more, people expect much more and performance is not looked separately from box-office, it's connected. The cons are more. Getting the first film is easier, but after that the journey is way tougher. That's also why many don't want to be launched by their family banner... for good or for bad, you want to be judged for your good or bad.

Jackky, given that Irrfan Khan left the film at the last minute, what's your equation with him today?
I recently met him, went up to him and said, 'How are you? Thank you so much. The response to promos is good. You left the film, so I got it.' He laughed. I told him I love him and would love to work with him. I have no personal grudges and whatever happened with him and the production house was a separate thing.

Lauren, who do you think are the best dancers in Bollywood?
Last night, I happened to see this song featuring Madhuri Dixit and Prabhu Dheva. I want to be like both of them. One is an actor and choreographer and one, an actor and dancer. My favourite dancers in Bollywood are Madhuri Dixit, Prabhu Dheva and Hrithik Roshan

Lauren, you choreographed Tom Cruise and taught him dance. Which actor would you like to teach in Bollywood?
Anyone who I teach I would like to do something different with them that they have not done before. Also, they need to give me time. I would love to teach Hrithik Roshan.