Lara Dutta

Biography

Lara Dutta Bhupathi (née Dutta; born 16 April 1978) is an Indian actress. The winner of Miss Intercontinental 1997 and Miss Universe 2000 pageants, she 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 Punjabi Hindu 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. 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 Sanjay Dutt. 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 ₹1.14 billion (US$12 million) 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) ===