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[Music] [Music] [Music] Namaskar Adaab. Video ka jeena isi ka naam hai. In this episode, our guest is special, of course. All guests are special, but if we were to say something very briefly about this guest, it would be appropriate to say that in the city of flowers, Bangalore, a very beautiful bud bloomed. And very soon, the beauty of that bud, one should say, spread throughout the universe. And obviously, when the discussion of her beauty, her intelligence and understanding reaches the universe, what place comes after the universe? Mumbai. So, our friend came to Mumbai, and her style was also very unique. And I think we should talk about some small things about her. Let's call her, okay? So I'll call out that our friend, who has just arrived in Mumbai, should come in her special style. Come, Lara. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Dutta. [Applause] You can sit or stand. Lara, actually, we had been waiting for a long time for you to be free and grace us with your presence. But we heard that sometimes you're climbing mountains, sometimes you're battling the desert. It's been very difficult to catch you. Now that you're here, let's talk heartily. [Applause] Mama Dada Sahab, please come here. Sir, I think I hear a voice from behind. Yes, absolutely. It can't be Mrs. Dutta's; it must be yours, sir. What's the secret of this voice? Sir, what is this voice? Can you call it a battle cry, a challenge that is given when going to war? Oh yes yes yes yes. When she was small, 16 years old, she was coming to a contest for the first time, the Bombay Beauty Contest. Yes. When I saw her going to the airport, inside security, she seemed a little nervous. Yes, she was 16 years old. For the first time, she was coming to Bombay, leaving home. So, I said, "Beta, come here." I held her face like this, I said, "Any doubt? Any fear?" "No, Daddy." I said, "Listen, you are my lioness. Take a deep breath, from deep inside, just shout loudly, and see your entire fear will go away." Was she like this from the beginning, that she would fight and make a lot of noise? And she was a very good child? A very good child? Very sweet, very obedient? No, actually, I'll tell you one thing; I am the youngest in my family. Yes, the youngest of three girls. Three daughters. Yes, yes. And you are the youngest? Yes. And Mom and Dad probably thought that this time it would be a boy. Why? Regret that it wasn't a boy? Thank God it wasn't. La, so by the time I came, Mom, tired of the two older ones, said, "Now you are your own responsibility." So I came, I grew up like a boy. I was quite a tomboy. I think... this… this… because until now, we were talking about Lara’s being very sweet, very nice, very good. She said she was a tomboy. I will bring out a little more of the inside story. I am calling someone, please grace us with your presence. [Music] Please, coming. Hi Sharal. Hello. Please, come in. Okay, Lara, don't run away now. No. Sharal is Lara's older sister. And she knows things about Lara that her parents may know, but they are not telling us. So, let's do some investigation with Sharal. Sharal, how much older than Lara are you? In age? Six years. Six years older. And what do you do, Sharal? I am in the Air Force. I am a pilot. Yes. That's why my family is very proud of me. I'm saying this to you, she took my career. My intention was to become a pilot. I am moving this story forward. These things are getting a little more interesting. Let's see some pictures, and then... Oh God, sir, let's see the picture. It seemed that, a little bit, she was a little bit of a tomboy. Wasn't she a tomboy? The way she was making a face, tilting her neck. One day, we used to play at home, we were running around the table, round and round. And one of us would say, "Run faster, Didi, run faster!" And the one running faster slipped and fell, and my two teeth broke. At that time, we didn't know that teeth don't come back. They were permanent teeth. So, when Mom and Dad came back from outside, she very proudly showed them, "Look, my teeth have fallen out, broken!" And Papa said, "Fool, they are not coming back again!" So she never forgave me in her life. From... one thing I forgot to ask Sharal, usually, the name Lara is rarely heard in India. So, did you keep this name, or did Mrs. Dutta keep it? What you say is true. Lara is a beautiful name. But around that time when she was about to be born, we both really liked the theme song of the movie Doctor Zhivago. Both of us had thought in our minds that if we want a boy, but if it's a girl, the name will definitely be Lara, and if it's a boy, we will keep it Shiva. Perhaps we would have. So, Lara happened. There is another personality who is very close to you, right now a little away from you. She wants to talk from a distance. Let's hear her. This sub... here, baby, you know, I'd love to be with you there today, but it just hasn't been possible for me to come. You know, I'm always there and will always be there for you, and if ever you need me, all you have to do is either call or just give a shout and I'm there. Bye, love you. That's your oldest sister. Yes. What does she do? She's in Bangalore, in the hospitality industry. Did you have a stronger friendship with her or Sharal? I used to fight a lot with her, actually. Because I'm the youngest... you don’t look like someone who can be beaten. That was also a problem. No, but she is 10 years older than me, and she was very tall, and I was so small, a little thing. So my only defense was that I would jump and grab her hair and then hang like this, dragging her all over the house. And she used to really… she used to lock me in the bathroom in the dark. She would complain to Mom, so we used to fight a lot. And then this poor girl, she was very soft. So she would come and try to make peace a little bit, you know, “she's older, she's younger.” So both sisters had a very good relationship with me. Naturally, one would pull the other's hair and the other would break the other’s teeth. It was very good for you. How was it for Sharal and Sabrina? We don't know that. Dada Sahab, a personal request, please come here. I can’t, sir. They don’t listen to me much, because I’m a home bird. Sir, I’m a home bird. Please sir, could you say wow to the camera? Let’s take a break. [Music] Video call, jeena isi ka naam hai. We’re talking to Lara Dutta. Lara, when you were in school, you were a bright child. I want to call another bright child who has some very funny things to say about her. Please, grace us with your presence. [Applause] Come, come, come! [Applause] Another very bright child from the same school, Lara’s friend. Come, come, come, come, come! Lara, you also come closer. Yes. Introduce her to our friends, please. This is my friend Shosh. We know Shosh as Titli (butterfly). She used to fly around outside the class. Absolutely not! Titli, actually, used to live in front of my house in Bangalore, and I think she was 3 years old when I met her. And she's like my younger sister. And when we first met, I was the big boss, and she, a little one, I don’t know where she came from, thin, little. And I saw her and said, “We…” And she said, “I want to join your gang.” And I said, “Okay, this has to be done, that has to be done.” You used to run a gang also? Slowly, a secret is being revealed that your friends... your sisters… the poor sisters tolerated your love… but how much your friends were afraid of you. What is this? No, actually, this is the truth, and Titli can also confirm that I taught her dressing and grooming. I gave her Hindi tuitions. I… yes, absolutely. And she gave you Hindi tuitions? Good. After this, you will speak only in Hindi in this show? Yes. Don’t say yes. Yes, sir, yes, sir. Yes, sir. Okay, so she is a little older than you in age, and a little taller in height, much taller. Okay, stand up, so we can see. Very good. Yes. Now stay… keep standing… yes, come here. There was once, we had this play called Snow White and Seven Dwarfs. Snow White and… hello, and she grabbed the role of Snow White. There was no audition, she just took it, and she made me the dwarf, obviously because of my height, and she just grabbed the role. There is another friend of yours who is also like Snow White and is going to tell us a few things. I'll call her now, then we'll surround Lara together. Come, please, grace us with your presence. [Music] [Applause] Come. Hi. No, no. Titli, stay here, stay here, protect her from Snow White. Okay, Lara, introduce them, please. This is my friend Nayana, and I met her in 11th standard. I mean, what you say, she does. No, no, no. Friend, you don’t… no, no, that’s not true. Like, make you do whatever she wants to… at school? No, not at all. She was actually the boss, a little one. Let’s show you a glimpse of some pictures. Hello Lara, it's been a long time. Thinking back over the years, I recall searching for a piece for a senior to recite at the inter-house elocution competition, and we came across “Salome” by Oscar Wilde, a very powerful speech, and you were chosen to recite it because you were so comfortable with it. It amazed me how within 48 hours you had memorized the extract. There were certain lines in the extract where you were required to blush, and you would do it so naturally, the color would just creep up into your face. Yes. Salome, Princess of Judea, went on to become Lara, Princess of the Universe. [Applause] He is a very famous and very capable and kind person in India, a director, Rishikesh Mukherjee Sahab. I also had the chance to work with him coincidentally. He always used to say, you know, what's the problem with heroines these days? You can’t find a single heroine who can do a scene where she has to blush. [Music] Welcome back. We are meeting Lara Dutta. I invite Sharal to come here. I heard that you helped a lot in the beginning of her modeling career, and you had a significant contribution. You helped her take pictures. We made a contribution because Lara didn't have any professional photographs, etc., so we said, "Let's take your professional photographs." So me and my good friend, Vijay Sri, we said, "We'll do your makeup, you’ll look very good." So we made her sit, I mean, we thought we had done very good makeup. The photographer was there. He said, “You have come for photography?” He said, “This won't work.” It was at the Gladrags Supermodel show. Good. He said, “She will never win like this. So do something about it.” So then he cut her hair and took her photographs. Obviously, many offers, etc., must have started coming. And you must have gone outside Bombay, then outside India also. Winners got a ticket to London and New York. For me, the biggest thing was that I was going to London and New York. And Papa was very scared that his 16-17-year-old daughter, alone, with another boy… also because the boy was the winner of the Gladrags supermodel contest, Dino Morea… no Morea… and Dino’s… Dino’s body shot was everything, big long hair, you know, he looked like one of those full-on model type hunks. So Papa was a little worried that where my daughter is going, with this Dino… Dino didn’t do a good job, why did he do such a thing? Hey brother, come here, Dino! [Applause] [Music] Papa was worried. You look like you’re about to fight, young girl. Ha, are you? What's the news, brother? I have brought a small gift. He certainly brought a gift. There is a story I want to tell you, which is still fresh in my memory. As Lara said, we won two tickets to go to England and America. We went. Now, to cut a long story short, there are many shops abroad, shopping malls, etc. We got so excited about shopping… this and that. So we were going for shopping every day. Lara used to go and look in all the clothes sections, look nicely… this and that… not getting my size. So a saleswoman asked, “Madam, this jeans T-shirt is so nice. Is this your size?” So she looked at Lara, “You have to go to the children’s section.” That is, where 10-year-old children’s clothes are. So I started laughing. Lara, 10 years old? So, what did you think, that she is still going to wear this? I thought so, but I was wrong. Now she is grown up. [Music] But you can keep this anyway. When you both went out for the first time… I don’t know, maybe Dino also went outside India for the first time at that time. So, when you both went out for the first time, what was that experience like? London, New York… I mean, apart from buying huge-sized clothes, I was staying with my aunt, and I… no… also… so… I remember that she didn’t have sneakers, or what, Keds, no? But she had a great passion for exercise, that I would get up in the morning and do some exercise. So she used to wear her big, thick Doc Martens boots, with very short shorts. She used to wake me up at 7:00 in the morning, “Come, let’s go running.” And we kept running, and any girl she met… Doc Martens shoes… and any girl she met here, I mean there… Dino is running behind her. Lara, poor thing, 17 years old, I don’t know what she’s thinking. You can visualize. And the girl, seeing Doc Martens, immediately moves away, and she runs faster. Yes, yes. There is another gentleman who has known about you from those days, and he knows such funny things, I mean… I’m calling him, then you see. Come, please, grace us with your presence. [Applause] Come. Please, hi. Please come. Raja is actually a very good model himself, and a famous model. But Lara can better praise him, because Lara has known him since those days, and he has known Lara since those days when she was in her school uniform. So, Raja, tell us, what was she like in those days when she was in her school uniform? She used to say that I am not confident, but she was… she was a cut above the rest. And one thing, you see, wherever she went in competition, Gladrags, then she went to international pageants through Gladrags, she won. Then she went for Miss India, she won, and then she went for Miss Universe, that also she won. So, she has not yet lost a… [Applause] [Music] contest. Welcome back. Video ka jeena isi ka naam hai. After the break, we are back, and we are talking to Lara Dutta. Is that right? Absolutely. This is what? You have also worked in films and are very successful. So one thing is common in both, that you have to perform before the camera. First, tell us about that time when you used to do ads, do films, many of which we have seen. Somewhere you’re climbing mountains, God knows what else you're doing. So what was that experience like? It was a very good opportunity where I… I am very happy that I got a chance to do something. There is some shyness, yes. Actually, we shot this ad campaign in Malshej Ghat, and the director of this ad film was Mr. Kunal Kapoor. Kunal Kapoor? Yes. Yes. So, he showed me a cliff on a video cassette, that this is the cliff I want you to scale. I said, “No, I have vertigo.” Short? Go? No. No, absolutely not. So, we reached Malshej Ghat, and then I saw the cliff in reality. It wasn’t like rock climbing, or walk climbing. It was a cliff where if you put your foot, the rocks would crumble. And the body double saw that she had to wear some shorts, climber’s outfit… and she said, “I’m not going to do it.” So Kunal came to me, and he said, “Yes, Dutta,” and said, “Lara, we need to do this, you know, and will you wear…” something like that… will you do this wearing something like that? I said, “Okay, let’s do it.” And for six days, he hung me, dropped me from that cliff at Malshej Ghat. A hundred feet up, down, up, down, and then he brought me down from the cliff, crawling on my knees and hands. Cruel man! Why did you do all this? They say, standing above, they say… “You can do it! You can do it!” Then… yes, I also remember that I was crying on the sixth day. I couldn’t do it, so I was crying, and half my body was below the cliff, half above the cliff, and I was crying, “I can’t do this!” And he said, “Whatever you want, I’ll give you. Go down, whatever you want, ice cream, chocolates…” “No, I want chips.” So, he still brings chips… today. [Applause] Kunal, she’s praising you so much. [Music] Come, come. You recognize them, right? His name is Kunal Kapoor. Yes. Okay, how does his voice sound? Tell me. You know him, right? I can’t hear it in the background. Again in the background… see… see… they brought chips for you, too. Chips? Who is this, brother? Come. This is for whom? For me. A plastic flower. And it's written in English. My English is very bad. You read it, please. Teacher Sahiba. Yes. I mean, what should I do? Someone sent it for you. There is some confusion, right? You give me chips. Certainly, certainly. A Hindi teacher? A Hindi teacher? Hey, Hindi teacher, please come. Whose English spelling is so good. Adaab, Adaab, Adaab. Come, good. This is real, and that was fake. When did you first meet Kelly? I first met Kelly during the Gladrags Supermodel contest in Bangalore? No, in Bombay. And he was the previous year's winner. So he put the crown, whatever, on me… and I thought, “Yes, he is a very nice boy.” This and that, and our friendship started then. But I think about three or four years passed, and we were both busy in our careers. Then we met again five years ago, and we have been friends since then. I guess you could say it’s something we were just meant to be. The plastic flower… and guess what? When you met Mr. Dutta or Mrs. Dutta, what did you introduce Kelly as? I think Mom already had the intention, you know, he’s very well-mannered, a very good boy. And I think Papa and he have a really good rapport and relationship, and so far, touch wood, everything is fine, safe and sound. Don’t spill, please. On this note, eat a chip. Thank you. [Music] Welcome back. Video ka jeena isi ka naam hai. And we are talking to Lara. The modeling part of Lara's life, which, as I mentioned earlier, has been full of success. I want to introduce a person from the same world, from the same line of models. Come, please, grace us with your presence. [Applause] Thank you so much for coming. [Music] Come, please, come here. Dayan’s proper introduction will be done by Lara, because Dayan and Lara are very good and close friends. So please take over, Lara Dutta. I want to… when I was 30 or however many years old, and my children were small, I wanted to look like Dimple Kapadia. So she was almost like the role model that I wanted to look like for a long time. Absolutely, absolutely. Let’s see something about her. Her Miss Universe… [Music] …glamour. And Farooq Ji… I still remember that my contest was in Cyprus.
My mom, dad, and Kelly were there. But to see the Miss Universe contest, yes, the Miss Universe contest. And that one moment can change your whole life. And I still remember them placing the crown, the flash, the bulbs, the cameras, the audience, the music. And from behind, I heard all the Indians in the audience standing up and singing, “Sare Jahan Se Achcha Hindustan Hamara.” I still get goosebumps thinking of that. It was one of the most amazing moments.
When you talk about New York and Miss Universe, there's someone who wants to say something to you. They couldn't be here, but they're saying this from there: "Miriya, be ra. I am so, so proud of you. It is an honor for me to be doing this for you, and I want you to remember always how much I love you. You are one of my babies, and you always have a family and a home here in Lake Florida. I love you, Lala, and I can’t wait to see you. I miss you."
Regarding Sahiba, Lara would be better suited to tell you about that. Terry Martines was my travel manager that year, and Terry spoke Spanish. So first, she recited a Spanish poem that she had taught me that year. And she, she’s almost like a mom sitting here. But Terry is almost like a second mother to me, and I really think that if there’s a reason why I became Miss Universe, it’s because of Terry and Linda. Meeting them both. They will always be the most special people to me in the world.
This was your first film, yes? “Andaaz,” yes. You mentioned that you found out you were going to do “Andaaz” there. So you started running wildly. How did you get the offer because you were in New York? Yes, and the people who made “Andaaz” would have been in India. So did they hear your Miss Universe speech? Not exactly. Akshay and I did a cover shoot for Filmfare, I think. And Sunil Darshan, who produced “Andaaz,” wanted to cast a new artist for “Andaaz.” I was in Bangalore with my parents, and Akshay called. He said, “Lara, Sunil wants to get a new artist. Can you come back right now and listen to the script?” So I came back, and in Sunil’s office, Raj Kamal also came, and he narrated the script to me. Since then, I’ve heard many scripts, but I’ve never heard a narration like Rajji’s. It was amazing. He sang the whole soundtrack, the background score, everything. He narrated the fight scenes. Now, we call Rajji and see what he says. Rajji, please come. [Applause] [Music] [Applause]
We were listening to the story of your storytelling. Okay, when did you first see Lara, and what made you decide to cast Lara? I saw a press photo of Lara in a magazine. At that time, I was writing this film, “Andaaz.” The subject was complete. I kept hunting for this face. When I told the team that we should cast Lara in this film, they said, “No, she’s a model. She’s been offered roles before, maybe she doesn’t want to do it, or she’ll be awkward working in films.” So I said, “We should approach her once.” Okay, we approached her, called her. And when you started working properly, started shooting, how did you find working with Lara, a girl who had never tackled this kind of medium before? The best thing about her was she was honest about work, hardworking, and simple. She also learned while working, and I also learned with her about how to work in this way, that way. Are you planning to repeat “Bachcha” again? Why not? When a person at home does good work, he does excellent work. Why shouldn’t it be repeated? 100 percent. She has another colleague, right? She wants to say something about the other chicken from here. From here: Hi Lara Paaji, I am Just Miss India. I remember you had come into our room to get ready once, and I had no clue what to wear, and we were going for some show, and I didn’t know how to do makeup. And I remember you telling me, Priyanka, you should wear this kind of outfit for this kind of function. And I’ve always respected you for that. I’ve always felt that you didn’t think of yourself as being too big, comparatively. [Applause]
Actually, my given name is this. I still remember it was the first day of the song picturisation. The atmosphere was tense. Suddenly, I saw Lara coming, like a village elder, not our Punjabi elder, so I said Lara Paaji. What is the meaning of Paaji? I said, Paaji means brother. So a system started where everyone in the unit started calling her Lara Paaji. Lara Paaji. She did another beautiful film whose name is associated with the name of her city, Mumbai. My friend is from Mumbai, you have a friend. I want to introduce you to him. Come. [Applause] [Music] Sir, Adaab, Adaab, Apoorva Sahab, please come. What is this, sir? Sir, this is an album of the entire film from the first day Lara came to Mumbai, her dress rehearsal, and this, sir, is our script that the entire unit signed for Paaji. Thank you, Mubarak ji, Paaji, Mubarak. Working with Lara ji, why am I saying ji? How was the experience of working with Lara, Apoorva Sahab? Sir, it was fantastic. Truly, my first picture. If I didn’t have Lara and Abhishek in my film, it would have been a totally different experience. But I think God just made it right by making me meet Lara and Abhishek and making “Mumbai Se Mera Dost” happen. It was truly amazing. There were no problems. One question that arises in the mind is that Lara is playing the role of a village girl. Yes, sir. If you have seen Lara’s Miss Universe pictures or those clippings or her pictures in magazines, doesn’t it seem that she’s a village girl? How did you think, “This girl, I’ll make her a village girl?” Sir, because the look we decided on for the film, I just pictured Lara with that look, the wig and the costume, and stuff we had designed. She just fit perfectly. She was very nice. She came for two or three makeup and costume tests. Then she came for the script reading, and she was just, just giving it 100 percent even before we started. If given a chance, I would make a Lara Croft with Lara because she is fantastic. Mind-blowing. Why are you so famous for beating people up? Come, come. They also have another beautiful kind of action in their life. Please come and tell us about it. [Applause] [Music] Come. Thank you very much for coming. Let’s bring in Veeru Sahab. Everyone knows him by face, and people are also familiar with Veeru Sahab’s fame as a dance guru. Veeru Sahab, as a student, how was it? First class. I worked very hard because I learned Bharatnatyam in childhood. There’s a classical base and rhythm, so there was no problem in grasping Kathak. A major compliment from the guru saying this about you. I think today, besides my mom, dad, and family, Guruji has become a very important person for me because I wake up every morning, and the first face I see in the morning at 7:00, 7:30 a.m. is Guruji’s. For me, the tabla and ghungroo and Guruji’s voice and the education he gives me through dance have become the most important thing today. Guruji, you are another highly respected personality in your life, and I want you to… just as you treat Guruji with great respect, I’m sure you treat them with the same respect. You also want to say something, so I’ll let you hear what she says from here. Lara, beta, the way you are progressing step by step towards your goal, achieving your goal, it gives me immense pleasure. Beta, live like this, keep moving forward, never have to face defeat. But do remember these four lines: Victory is for him who plays 100 times from defeat, tightening his chest, always enduring the war of every calamity. Never turn away from the difficulties of the path, intoxicated in the current, intoxicated in the current, carrying your boat. Only his life is the one who achieves success. If you carry this thought, then success will kiss your feet. And finally, beta, I will definitely say this much for you, that no matter how beautiful anyone is, no matter how talented anyone is, there’s no one like my Lara, no one like my Lara. My, my own, my own. I wanted to say nothing more after this, but there has been a request from the very beginning that I cannot refuse. And I will also request Kelly Sahab. Kelly, a request has come. You have to help me out on this one. I heard that you are a very good dancer, but Lara also does Salsa very well. So with Guruji’s permission, we also give you music. And suddenly one day, during the show, Manoj stepped forward. He grabbed a girl with whom he always danced, and the girl said, as Manoj told me later, “Listen, don’t touch me, please. Dad is coming.” So I said, “I need a fantastic actor.” So one is as good as Naseeruddin Shah. It was fun to listen. The time…