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 OCT 2 -
For Lara Dutta, Bhaagambhaag is her first try at comedy and
she certainly doesn’t think it’s a joke. In fact she claims to have
been petrified of her director Priyadarshan. She has lost weight but
her husky voice and throaty laugh remain recognizable, according to HT
Style.
Also starring in Priyan's comedy Bhaagambhaag
is Govinda, Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal.
Articulate as ever, but a little breathless because her character of
Munni in the comic merry go round has her “running everywhere.
Everybody is chasing me. I hold the key to a mystery. It’s a mad film
with a whole lot of crazy characters,” Lara commented.
“Initially I was very scared of Priyan. He has a sarcastic sense of
humor and he doesn’t believe in retakes. He will just ask for one or
two takes and if you can’t get your act right, heaven help you.” That
she was surrounded by Govinda “a powerhouse of talent”, Akshay Kumar
“who is so good at comedy” and Paresh Rawal “now, what can I say about
his comic timing” only added to her woes till she got it all right.
“You can't be unaffected by them for too long,” she chortles.
She also takes pride in the fact that being the only
heroine with “a hugely male cast” she was pampered the most. “I was
also ragged and made a butt of jokes. Then came a phase when they all
treated me like their buddy and would include me too in their jokes.”
But wouldn’t her co-stars sideline her, especially in a Priyan film
where the men always take away the best lines?
 “No, it doesn’t really matter. I had always wanted to work with Priyan
in a comedy and that’s precisely what I’m doing. I have got into this
fully aware of my role and the script. When else am I going to get a
chance to be surrounded by so many talented comic actors? And don’t
forget — I’m the only girl in the film!” said Lara.
The former beauty queen is also gung ho about her other assignment,
Shaad Ali’s Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. But she said she couldn’t
reveal anything about the film which also stars Abhishek Bachchan,
Preity Zinta and Bobby Deol. After spending a month in London,
shooting for Bhaagambhaag, she is back there with Jhoom.
Talk veers to Percept Picture Company’s project, Amarjeet,
directed by Shoojit Sircar, which was launched with her in the lead
part of a woman who takes on the tobacco industry But the film got
shelved. “Yeah, the producers didn’t seem comfortable backing Shoojit
on that film. It’s a pity,” she says.
With just the Ashtavinayak production Bhaagambhaag and
Yashraj Films’ Jhoom Barabar Jhoom in her kitty Dutta said
she’s happy doing just this much at the moment. And is she thanking
her stars for not taking on Ameesha Patel’s role in Aap Ki Khatir
now that it has sunk without a trace? “Well, let’s just say that I
didn’t want to do the film when it was offered to me.” |
