Lara Dutta

Lara Dutta Bhupathi ( Dutta; born 16 April 1978) is an Indian actress. She won the Miss Universe 2000, and has since predominantly worked in Hindi films and series. Dutta is a recipient of a Filmfare Award and established herself as a prominent leading actress in the 2000s.

Dutta made her acting debut with '' Andaaz'' (2003), which won her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. She went on to star in several commercially successful films, including the comedies '' Masti'' (2004), '' No Entry'' (2005), '' Bhagam Bhag'' (2006), '' Partner'' (2007), '' Housefull'' (2010), and '' Chalo Dilli'' (2011), and the action film ''Don 2'' (2011). Following a hiatus, Dutta appeared in the British drama miniseries '' Beecham House'' in 2019 and portrayed Indira Gandhi in the film '' Bell Bottom'' (2021). She has since taken on roles in streaming series such as ''Hundred'' (2020), '' Kaun Banegi Shikharwati'' (2022) and '' Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond'' (2024).

In addition to her acting career, Dutta has hosted several award shows and has her own line of beauty care products. She is married to tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi, with whom she has a daughter.

Early life and background

Dutta was born 16 April 1978 to a Hindu Punjabi father and an Anglo-Indian mother in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. Her father was Wing Commander L. K. Dutta (retired) and her mother is Jennifer Maureen Dutta (née Storey). Nitin Sawhney, who is a music composer and DJ is Dutta's cousin.

Dutta moved to Bengaluru in 1981 where she completed high school at the St. Francis Xavier Girls' High School and Frank Anthony Public School. She graduated with a degree in economics and a minor in communications from the University of Mumbai. She is fluent in English and Hindi and can also speak Punjabi and Kannada.

Pageantry

Dutta won the annual Gladrags Manhunt and Megamodel Contest in 1995, thus winning the right to enter the 1997 Miss Intercontinental Pageant. She was later crowned Miss Intercontinental 1997. In 2000, she entered and won the Femina Miss India contest receiving the title of Femina Miss India Universe. This allowed her to represent India at the Miss Universe 2000.

Dutta won Miss Universe 2000 in Cyprus. Dutta was crowned by the outgoing titleholder Mpule Kwelagobe of Botswana. In the same year, Priyanka Chopra and Dia Mirza won their respective Miss World and Miss Asia Pacific titles which gave India a rare triple victory in the world of beauty pageants. During her reign as Miss Universe, she visited 42 countries. She is the second woman from India to be crowned Miss Universe. She received the highest score in the swimsuit competition and her finale interview score is the highest individual score in any category in the history of the Miss Universe contest.

Dutta has been a United Nations Population Fund Goodwill Ambassador since 2001.''UNFPA Goodwill Ambassadors'' profile page
Available online
/ref>Dutta has stated, "Celebrities with the power to affect their impressionable minds therefore have a moral responsibility to impart positive messages. I am committed to using any influence I may have to do just that as a Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)".

Acting career

Debut and early work (2003–2004)

Dutta made her screen debut in 2003 with '' Andaaz'', playing Kajal opposite Akshay Kumar. In the film, Dutta's voice was dubbed by Mona Ghosh Shetty as the filmmakers wanted two distinct characters for the female leads and they needed Kajal, Dutta's character, to have a high-pitched voice. According to Dutta, her role as the tomboy Kajal revealed a new and very private side of her on screen. ''Andaaz'' became a major box office success and won her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Derek Elley of '' Variety'' noted that Dutta wins the acting stakes and handle her character reversals with aplomb. A critic of ''BBC'' opined that she "impresses" in emotional scenes. Later the year, she played Kesar, a village girl opposite Abhishek Bachchan in '' Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost''.

Dutta started 2004 with a cameo appearance in '' Khakee'', in the song "Aisa Jadoo", which went on to become a chartbuster upon release and earned her the Stardust Award for Exciting New Face. She then played Monica who lures three married men, in '' Masti'' which was a commercial success. Priya Ganapati of '' Rediff.com'' stated that she plays her character well. In '' Bardaasht'' which failed to do well at the box office, she played an advocat opposite Bobby Deol. Subhash K. Jha noted, "As a lawyer Lara delivers her lines with conviction. One wishes there was more of her." She then appeared in the Tamil film, ''Arasatchi'', which was supposed to be her debut release in 2002 but due to financial problems, it was postponed. In her final film of the year, '' Aan: Men at Work'' she played a police officer's lover opposite Akshay Kumar. Dutta revealed in an interview that she was offered a role in ''The Matrix'' franchise but turned down the offer due to her mother's illness at the time.

Breakthrough, success and acclaim (2005–2010)

The year 2005 marked a turning point in her career with six releases. Dutta first played a journalist in '' Insan'' opposite Ajay Devgn and a criminal's lover opposite John Abraham in '' Elaan'', both of which were box office failures. Dutta then played Sanjana, who marries for money and frame her husband for her fake death in '' Jurm'', opposite Bobby Deol. Vivek Fernandes stated, "Lara has a meaty role; she sizzles in the first half, goes a bit over the top toward the end but overall turns in a commendable performance." In '' Kaal'', she played Ishika opposite Vivek Oberoi. The film was a moderate success at the box office. Dutta then appeared in '' No Entry'' opposite Anil Kapoor, which went on to become the biggest success of the year. She played Kajal, a suspicious wife and Taran Adarsh felt she played the character to "perfection", in one of her most uninhibited works. Her final release that year, '' Dosti: Friends Forever'' saw her pair opposite Bobby Deol, and play an NRI. Patcy N stated that she looks "good", but her role is far too short. ''No Entry'' earned her a nomination for IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress.

In 2006, Dutta first appeared in '' Zinda'' as a taxi driver opposite John Abraham. She then had a special song appearance in '' Alag''. Dutta then played Aditi / Munni, a lady with suicidal tendencies opposite Akshay Kumar in '' Bhagam Bhag'', which was a box office success. A critic of ''Idlebrain'' found her to be just "adequate". She then had a cameo appearance as Zeenat in '' Fanaa''.

Dutta started 2007 with '' Jhoom Barabar Jhoom'', playing double-role of Anaida and Laila, opposite Bobby Deol and Abhishek Bachchan. The film was a moderate success. Rajeev Masand found her to be hilarious in the post-interval portions. Dutta then played Naina, a single mother and reporter opposite Salman Khan in '' Partner'', one of the year's highest-grossing film. Syed Firdaus Ashraf was appreciative of her chemistry with Khan. She then made a special appearance in ''Om Shanti Om'', and later presented a documentary film titled ''Sold: An MTV EXIT Special by Charmaine Choo'' which followed the tragedy of trafficking in South Asia where thousand of young girls and boys are sold into modern-day slavery.

In 2008, Dutta voiced Sonia, a female elephant in the animated film, ''Jumbo'' opposite Akshay Kumar. She made a special appearance in '' Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'' in the song " Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte" where she paid tribute to actress Helen. Dutta started 2010 with '' Billu Barber'' opposite Irrfan Khan, playing Bindiya, a poor barber's wife. The film was a moderate success at the box office. For her performance, she earned Stardust Award for Best Actress nomination. Dutta then played a supermodel opposite Govinda in '' Do Knot Disturb'' and a businessman's wife in ''Blue'' opposite Sanjay Dutt, both of which were commercial failures. For ''Blue'', Taran Adarsh stated, "Lara has never looked so good before. Though the story revolves around the guys, you can't overlook her small but significant contribution to the film."

In her only release of 2010, Dutta played a Gujarati bartender opposite Riteish Deshmukh, in '' Housefull''. The film emerged a major commercial success and collected at the box office. Gaurav Malani from ''IndiaTimes'' found Dutta to be "alluring". Komal Nahta stated that Dutta proves that she can be fantastic in comedies. Her performance in the film earned her a nomination for Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Female.

Sporadic work and expansion (2011–2020)

Dutta's first film of 2011 was '' Chalo Dilli'', her first film as a producer. She played Mihika, an investment banker alongside Vinay Pathak. The film was a moderate success, as it was made on a modest budget of . Taran Adarsh found her performance to be "convincing" despite some rough edges. She earned another Stardust Best Actress nomination for the film. She next appeared alongside Shah Rukh Khan in ''Don 2'', playing one of his companion. She also sang "Zara Dil Ko Thaam Lo" for the film. It emerged as one of the highest-grossing films of the year.

Following her post-pregnancy break from acting, Dutta appeared in the 2013 Hindi film ''David'', playing a mother, Neelam, this film was partially reshot in Tamil in the same title where Dutta's character name was Gayathri. In 2015, she played Emily, a translator alongside Akshay Kumar in '' Singh Is Bliing'', which emerged a financial success, grossing over 1.16 billion worldwide. Tushar Joshi from ''Daily News and Analysis'' was appreciative of her comic timing.

Dutta played Leena, in her first film of 2016, '' Fitoor''. Rachit Gupta of ''Filmfare'' praised her supporting part. She then played an advocate in ''Azhar''. Mehul S Thakkar of ''Deccan Chronicle'' found her performance to be "controlled yet aggressive". Both of her releases were commercial failures. Post this, Dutta played Sophie in the 2018 film ''Welcome to New York'', a box office failure.

Dutta ventured into television series with the 2019 ITV English series, '' Beecham House''. where she played Begum Samru. She expanded to web shows in 2020, with ''Hundred'', playing a police inspector Soumya. Divyanshi Sharma of ''India Today'' stated, "Lara Dutta makes an impressive web-series debut with the show. The actress lets her eyes do the talking in various scenes and delivers every dialogue with finesse."

Streaming projects (2021–present)

Dutta started 2021 with her portrayal of former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi in the spy film '' Bell Bottom'' alongside Akshay Kumar. The film became a commercial failure, but Monika Rawal Kukreja was appreciative of her performance and termed her "terrific". She then played Vasudha, a divorcee and single mother on a fun ride, in the series ''Hiccups and Hookups''. The following year, Dutta played Devyani, princess of a dyfunctional royal family in the series '' Kaun Banegi Shikharwati'' opposite Cyrus Sahukar. Nandini Ramnath of '' Scroll.in'' opined that she was fine as a comedienne and "ably aided" the cast.

In 2023, Dutta first appeared in the anthology film '' Ishq-e-Nadaan'', playing an industrious Ramona. The film received mixed reviews and was released on JioCinema. She then played a semi-classical vocalist Wilayat, in the series '' Charlie Chopra & The Mystery Of Solang Valley''. Pratikshya Mishra of ''The Quint'' stated that despite limited screen time, Dutta maintains her character's mystery.

In her first release of 2024, Dutta played Manisha, National Security Bureau head in the series, '' Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond''. Vinamra Mathur of ''Firstpost'' noted, "The actress brims with a certain sense of vibrancy, especially in her scene with Shergill." She received nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series at the Filmfare OTT Awards.

Other ventures

Television

Dutta has hosted the International Indian Film Academy Awards five times. She first hosted the 3rd IIFA Awards in 2002 and subsequently the 7th IIFA Awards with Fardeen Khan in 2006, 8th IIFA Awards with Boman Irani in 2007 and the 10th IIFA Awards and 11th IIFA Awards in 2009 and 2010, respectively. The last two times she co-hosted with both Boman Irani and Riteish Deshmukh. In 2018, Dutta turned a talent judge on the reality show ''High Fever''.

Philanthropy and other work

Dutta is active in pre-natal yoga on YouTube During her pregnancy in 2012, she launched a DVD consisting of pre-natal routines and meditation techniques. Dutta was appointed as a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador in 2001.

In 2017 Dutta began mentoring contestants at the Miss Diva contest. She stated "It's exciting to be a part of this journey in finding the perfect representative who is the Indian face of beauty, who possesses elegance, confidence, poise and intelligence. This journey has always been close to my heart and I hope this season is the one that brings us that exceptional girl who will bring the Miss Universe crown back to India".

In 2011, Dutta initiated a campaign called "Kick For Change", for underprivileged kids. Later, she participated in ''Kaun Banega Crorepati'' to raise funds for an acid attack victim. In 2019, Dutta launched her own vegetarian beauty care product brand called Arias.

Public image

Commenting on Dutta's career and her roles, Subhash K. Jha noted, "Lara is subtle yet upfront, strong but fragile, she encompasses the best of both worlds - feminine and aggressive, within her personality." Sweta Kaushal of ''Forbes India'' stated, "Dutta has always been very clear about her choices. She always knew what were her priorities." Rajiv Vijayakar of ''Bollywood Hungama'' finds her to be "versatile". In '' Rediff.com''s "Best Bollywood Actresses", Dutta was placed 10th in 2007. She was further placed 4th in its "Top OTT Actresses" list of 2020. In the Times Most Desirable Women list, Dutta was placed 6th in 2009 and 28th in 2010. In 2009, she was also placed 9th in ''Maxim'' "Hot 100" list. ''Times of India'' also placed her 24th in its "50 Beautiful Faces" list.

Dutta is known for her eloquent speaking skills. She has been a vocal supporter of the Me Too movement in India. Dutta stated that "I think it is about time. It is fantastic as I feel the difference today is that women are standing up for women. I think that comes from a generation shift. The older generation was largely taught that women should be quiet and don't speak up; that they don't come to the forefront because they should be homemakers. Women today still do all of that. We always manage the home, take care of family, we are still the troubleshooters, we wear multiple hats in a day, we juggle a million works, and we don't let any of them drop. But now this generation of women have become more vocal, and they are empowering each other, which is a much better situation. I cannot stress enough about how essential it is to have a sisterhood, to support other women that are speaking up. Be unafraid and be unapologetic about the stand that you take, especially against male entitlement."

Personal life

Dutta briefly dated American professional baseball player Derek Jeter. She had a nine-year relationship with actor and model Kelly Dorji. In 2008, she briefly dated Dino Morea, but they broke up in 2009.

In September 2010, became engaged to Indian tennis player, Mahesh Bhupathi. They married on 16 February 2011 in a civil ceremony in Mumbai and followed it with a Christian ceremony on 20 February 2011 at Sunset Point in Goa. In August 2011, Dutta announced her pregnancy. On 20 January 2012, she gave birth to their daughter Saira Bhupathi.

Filmography

*''All films are in Hindi unless otherwise noted.''

Films

Television

Accolades

Dutta is a recipient of Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut for ''Andaaz''.

See also

* List of Hindi film actresses
* Miss Universe

Notes

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dutta, Lara
1978 births
Actresses from Bengaluru
Actresses in Hindi cinema
Actresses in Tamil cinema
Beauty pageant contestants from India
Femina Miss India winners
Indian beauty pageant winners
Indian film actresses
Indian voice actresses
Living people
Miss Universe 2000 contestants
Miss Universe winners
Filmfare Awards winners
Screen Awards winners
People from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh
University of Mumbai alumni
Female models from Bengaluru
Female models from Uttar Pradesh