By Subhash K. Jha

Former beauty queen Lara Dutta says she is enjoying her single status and is no hurry to get into a new relationship.

"I’m blissfully single. There’s no one whom I’m even remotely interested in. And I’m in no hurry. After nine years, I’m alone. And I’m enjoying it," Lara, who broke up with Kelly Dorji, told IANS.

"Right now I’m so busy. I’m running around like a headless chicken," the actress said.

Asked about her relationship with Kelly, she said: "Wonderful. We’ve spent so many good years together. No one can take away those from us. Kelly and I know each other too well to drift apart. There’s a lot of mutual respect. And that will always remain."

The actress’s kitty is full with good projects, which includes Sudhir Mishra’s modern version of Devdas in which she plays Paro.

"Sudhir Mishra’s Devdas isn’t really a period film. It’s very literate and layered and I’d have to dig really deep into myself to play Paro. She is a dark, ambitious and self-destructive character."

Lara is also doing Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai with Govinda and Blue, an action film with Akshay Kumar.

 

Excerpts from an interview:

Q:

How does life look to you?

A:

I’m single, happy and I love my life.

Q:

How single are you?

A:

I’m blissfully single. Every hero I work with, I’m linked with. They’ve also been trying to link me with some Italian businessman. They found some half-baked picture on the Internet. Rubbish! There’s no Italian or Indian boyfriend.

Q:

Is it embarrassing to be linked with married men?

A:

No! Not when they treat you like a chum. I never let it affect me. I do enjoy the company of men. And I’m not going to get inhibited at the thought of being linked with one of them the next morning.

Q:

How’s your equation with Kelly Dorji?

A:

Wonderful. We’ve spent so many good years together. No one can take away those from us. Kelly and I know each other too well to drift apart. There’s a lot of mutual respect. And that will always remain.

Q:

It’s hard to keep the respect going when the love ends.

A:

It’s very natural for the hurt to remain between a couple when a relationship as intense as ours ends. For a while it was natural for both of us to withdraw. But that doesn’t stop us from looking out for each other. A relationship as long lasting as ours goes way beyond a romantic notion!

Q:

Are you looking out for another relationship?

A:

No I’m not. There’s no one whom I’m even remotely interested in. And I’m in no hurry. After nine years, I’m alone. And I’m enjoying it. Right now I’m so busy. I’m running around like a headless chicken.

Q:

What have you been up to?

A:

Besides an Art Of Living course, I’ve been training vigorously for a film that I’m doing with Akshay Kumar and Sanjay Dutt. After a lot of comedy, I’m finally doing an action film.

Q:

Aren’t you talking about a film called "Blue"?

A:

That’s right. It’s called Blue because the producers wanted to keep it simple. I love working with Akshay. He makes me do the craziest things. If you’ve seen Bhagam Bhag, you’d know what I mean.

Q:

"Bhagam Bhag" also had Govinda in it.

A: Yes, and later I did Partner with him, though I wasn’t paired with him. Now we’re together in Ravi Chopra’s Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai. This is one of those rare films where the girl actually has something substantial to do. It’s a completely different role, an authorized adaptation of the Hollywood film My Cousin Vinny. And I play Marisa Tomei’s role.

Q:

Marisa Tomei got an Oscar for her performance.

A:

I’m getting there. It may happen one day.

Q:

Good things are happening to you now.

A:

I guess everything happens in its own time. Now I’m a little more worldly wise than I used to be. I’m being careful in selecting my roles. I don’t want to do films where I’m just a glam girl. Doing so much comedy has given me the confidence to carry off roles where I don’t have to be the hot babe all the time.

Q:

Is that a disadvantage?

A:

Well, the way things are in commercial cinema the ordinary girl walks away with the meatier role. If you look at it, it isn’t the glamorous girl that the audience identifies with. It’s the simple girl next door who walks away with all the audience sympathy. But when you do comedy you get to be more accessible to the audience.

It’s very important for a heroine to connect with the female audience. Comedy allows you that access. And I haven’t done anything aggressively glam recently.