Lara Dutta dismisses reports of rivalry with Sushmita

I hope people will cast us again, she says

The two beauty queens became Miss Universe and later joined Bollywood. Now when they come together for a film, rumours of rivalry are bound to do the rounds. But Lara Dutta, who stars along with Sushmita Sen in comedy "Do Knot Distrurb", says they got along well and would love to work together again.

"Sushmita is a lovely person and we never had any problem working with each other. This (rumour) is generated for publicity, but there is normally very little truth behind the talk that we didn't get along," Lara told IANS in an interview.

"Our country has only two Miss Universes and if they also start fighting...it couldn't get sadder than that. I just wish I had more screen time to share with her, as we had not worked together earlier and it was a fantastic opportunity," she said.

Rumour mills were abuzz that the two actresses were having a cold war due to Lara's meaty part in the film directed by David Dhawan.

Lara hoped she would get a chance to work again with Sushmita, who was crowned Miss Universe in 1994.

"I hope people will cast us again at some other time. At least David (Dhawan) should do it again," said Lara, who was crowned Miss Universe in 2000.

Co-produced by Big pictures and Vashu Bhagnani, "Do Knot Disturb" is a laugh riot on marriage and infidelity. Releasing on Oct 2, the movie also stars Govinda, Riteish Deshmukh, Sohail Khan, Ranvir Shorey and Rajpal Yadav.

Throwing light on her character, Lara said: "I play Dolly who is sort of a pin-up girl for men. But her own life is very complicated as she loves a man who is her sugar daddy.

"She wants security too; so she has an ex-boyfriend who truly loves her and at the same time she also has an unsuspecting soul who enters her life and turns into her best friend. So it's complicated for her to decide what is it that she actually wants in life among security, love, compatibility and her best friend. That ties a knot in her life, which she has to unravel."

Comedy is Lara's forte as she showed her funny side in "Masti", "No Entry", "Bhagam Bhag" and "Partner".

"I love doing comedies. There's been an image of Miss Universe tagged to me and normally people associate me with being more cerebral and more poise because of the crown.

"But what people don't know is that I am very comic in real life too. Doing comedies just gives me an excuse to be who I am. And if people think it's great acting, it works for me," she said.

"Do Knot Disturb" is also Lara's third film with Govinda after "Bhagam Bhaag" and "Partner".

"I am very lucky to have got this film because if at all I consider myself to be a comic actress, then working with Govinda at least once is necessary. But I have had the opportunity to work with him for the third time and our fourth film ('Banda Yeh Bindaas hai') is also ready," she said.

"He is a fantastic actor and I got an opportunity to grow as a comic actor with him. He is one of those actors who can make people cry with his laughter and at the same time make them laugh with his crying," she added.

With other future projects like "Blue", "Housefull" and "Tom & Jerry" in her kitty, Lara is on a high with the way her career is shaping up.

"I am very happy. It's a good time and good place where I am right now," she said.

'I had to put on weight for my role in Do Knot Disturb'

Sushmita Sen has been missing from the marquee for a long time. Her last film -- the disastrous Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag -- released way back in 2007.

This Friday will see her in David Dhawan's long-delayed Do Knot Disturb with Govinda, Ritesh Deshmukh and Lara Dutta.

So what exactly does Sushmita do in the film? Patcy N finds out.

What is Do Knot Disturb about?

The film is about marriage -- the Knot in the title is the wedding knot. The best thing about the film is that it is David Dhawan's film, which means it is a completely entertaining, comedy film.

How was it working with Govinda?

It is a great honour to work with Chi Chi (Govinda). What you learn from him is spontaneity, which he has in abundance. The atmosphere is light, as he keeps making fun. He says that he has been dancing for over 25 years now. But if you see him dance, you would think he's doing it for the first time -- he dances with so much energy.

A David Dhawan film is fun. But if your co-star is Chi Chi, you will not have a single sad moment. It is fun all the way.

Sushmita Sen: I am a good wife Back with a bang and a bangin’ bod, Sushmita Sen, the lady who everyone loves listening to, talks about her weight iss

“Do Knot Disturb is an out-and-out comedy from David Dhawan and produced by Vashu Bhagnani. Then there is Chi Chi and Riteish adding icing on the cake. It cannot be serious and it makes you laugh. It gives a sweet message without wasting your time. It talks about marriage and not disturbing the ‘knot’,” says Sush.

Sush has a very congenial rapport with director David Dhawan.

“I don’t ask David what the film or role is about. He calls me and says ‘Sush! Picture!’ and I say ‘Kahan?’ and I show up. In that way he has been spoilt by me. David Dhawan loves the topic of marriage. The movie has to have a shaadi, infidelity, Govinda and me. One thing different about the movie is that it doesn’t have an end and the story will continue in the sequel. The audience will wonder what happened in the movie. I like that about the movie and it is progressive for David,” reveals the actress.

About her character, she says, “My character is a very good wife and she tells her husband not to lie but, sadly, which husband listens! I am only with Chi Chi in the movie though it’s confusing to say who Lara is with.”

Sushmita had gained a lot of weight and is back in shape now. “I cannot say the film has anything new except that David wanted me to look healthy and khaate-peete ghar ki as Chi Chi’s wife and I managed to put on 9 kilos. At the end of the film, because of whatever happens, my character loses weight and becomes her pre-marital weight. It was a lot of work but I managed to do it in a short span of time,” she beams with pride.

And is she somebody who likes to disturb people? “I never disturb anybody. If somebody gets disturbed, it is their problem, but people disturb me a lot. I think a ‘Do not disturb’ sign is very disturbing. I just gaze at people and then they know that it is time to leave me alone,” concludes Sush confidently.

sush is back

The actress, who has been on a rather long hiatus from films, was spotted gyrating to a dance number on the sets of her forthcoming movie Do Knot Disturb at a studio in Mumbai on Thursday.

The movie, which also stars Govinda and Reitesh Deshmukh, is produced by Vashu Bhagnani and directed by David Dhawan.

Sushmita is back!

This of course, barring the passable international film Karma, Confessions and Holi, which the former beauty queen vehemently denied being associated with.

“Yes, it’s been long since I have seen me on screen too,” she jokes. Having shed the extra weight she’d had to gain for a movie role, the leggy beauty’s looking her usual svelte self. “Sexy, sensuous, gorgeous, it’s all about what’s up here,” she says, pointing towards her head. But now she’s ready to put her sexiest foot forward, as she readies to make up for her long absence with two back-to-back films coming up and a string of flicks lined up next year as well.

Kickstarting with Do Knot Disturb, followed by Dulha Mil Gaya and later No Problem, Sush also seems to have finally found her forte - comedy. But point this out and she is quick to clarify, “I don’t want to be bound down by genres. But yes, I am really tired of consolation prizes and do want to sign up more commercial films. I am done with the experimenting phase,” she says, reflecting on her choice of films post Main Hoon Na.

And though she doesn’t regret her choices, she does admit that several have left a bitter taste. “I gave up a lot of roles to do films that I thought would bring out the actress rather than the heroine in me,” she says candidly. “But today is different. Now I want to go in for the kill, at least that’s the idea,” she asserts the fighting spirit in her. Keen to repeat the success, she tasted with her early attempts at comedy, now she is looking forward to silencing her detractors once again.

Looking back at the past two years, Sush was kept busy by the constant speculation revolving around her personal life and professional. But she always maintained a dignified silence, whether it was talks about her weight gain - which she had incidentally gained to play the role of a hatti katti wife opposite Govinda in Do Knot... - or about her on-and-off relationship with filmmaker Mudassar or even her ambitious project Rani Laxmi Bai and more recently reports of tension between her and good friend Shah Rukh Khan. “I am very vocal, but not reactive. I don’t believe in feeding rubbish stories. Sometimes being the silent puppy is the ultimate diva act,” she says, dismissing the apparent fight with SRK as a rumour.

However, talk about her pet project Rani Laxmi Bai and she reveals that she’s happy at the moment to watch the historical character being revived on television. “The project is on hold and will remain so till I don’t get to make it my way.” And about her film based on the life of late Benazir Bhutto? “Well that has to be cleared by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). It’s a very controversial film so the moment we get a clearance, the project will be on,” she confirms.

Till then she’s happy with the films on her platter and a “gorgeous daughter” to keep her busy back home. “Oh, she’s a very sharp girl. In fact, I learn a lot from her each day,” says the proud mamma. But between the mom-daughter duo does the father talk ever crop up. “Renee would surely like to have a father, but she doesn’t miss one yet. Often I tease her about getting her married off, and she’s quick to retort, ‘Not before you get married first,’ so yes, that’ll happen sometime too. We will definitely get a dad for Renee.” But who and when? “Well, that’s not something I am revealing yet,” she smiles.

“Renee Is Not Adopted,” says Sushmita Sen

“I have an adopted son in the film, but my daughter Renee is not adopted,” says Sushmita Sen defiantly. Well, she is a true rock star who loves to do things on her terms and conditions and when she says something she means from the heart. The former Miss Universe remains a hot property in the glamour industry in spite of not having had big Bollywood success coming her way, except for SRK’s ‘Main Hoon Na’ or Salman Khan’s ‘Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya’. She is all over the place right now excitedly promoting her new movie ‘Zindaggi Rocks’ which has a close resemblance to her life in more ways than. IndiaGlitz brings you this exclusive interview with the ultimate Diva with a million watt smile:

What makes you such a Rockstar? Thank you! The fact that I believe in that concept. I believe that you can be a rock star without a stage, a mike, a guitar and music. It’s just the way you live your life on your own terms….Then you are a rockstar. ‘Zindaggi Rocks’ seems to be a slice of your own life… It is easy to get into a character than being yourself. It’s a state of being shamelessly uninhibited to let yourself show. But when your director and unit makes you so comfortable, everything changes. I did feel I was Kria. How closely are you associated with this film? This film is the way I look at life. As Sushmita Sen, it is true celebration of life where your life is not about living your life to the fullest, but the time when you may not be a rockstar the celebration must go on. When Tanuja narrated the story to me, I said when are we starting this film! I must have hugged producer Anuradha Prasad fifty times. A lot of female bonding seems to be happening…Both director as well as the producer are women… O totally…Shamelessly so…Sure…It’s a full on female bonding film. You have an adopted son in the movie…How close was it to your own life (Firmly but with a smile) I have an adopted son in the film, but my daughter Renee is not adopted… How was the whole experience? Zindaggi Rocks man…It’s an alive film. It’s gonna rock your world in more ways than one. It’s got tremendous music, lots of life. It’s not a frivolous film. Lot of life in the film. It’s a fabulous film. A soulful film. Your favourite song in the film… That would be tough…I have quite a few since I have performed to them. ‘Zindaggi Rocks’ the title track is very rocking…I enjoyed it so much that I had a sprain in the neck while performing. Rabbi is rocking…Sufi music appeals to me a lot. ‘Humko Choone Paas Aaiye’ is the seductive song…Very much like Kria. One moment she is seductive. One moment she is like a child. One moment she is a woman. One moment she is alive. One moment she is dead. You dedicated ‘Chingaari’ to Maa Durga…Whom would you dedicate ‘Zindaggi Rocks to’ I dedicate this one to life… One thing that changed your life after ‘Zindaggi Rocks’ Without telling you the script…After this film, I’ve had my rebirth…Where the film ends…Sushmita is reborn Something about your co-star Shiney Ahuja… I must say this…That any actor other Shiney Ahuja in this role wouldn’t have managed to give such a fine performance. He is such an amazing actor. God bless him. Every time I’ve watched this film my heart has ached for him. He is a newcomer in the industry but I can safely say that everyone must watch out for him….Yeh Bahut Lambi Race Ka Ghoda Hai…