Lara Dutta: It's a breath of fresh air to do Ishq-E-Nadaan, an everyday relationship story

Tell us a little bit about your character and the setting of the film.

Honestly, this was one of the least complicated stories I've come across. In recent times, everybody wants to make these complicated, convoluted thrillers that have twists at the end. So, it's a breath of fresh air to receive a script that just talks about everyday relationships in the most normal way, without trying to make a point in society, or send out a message or shock you in the end or anything like that. That was the refreshing part of Ishq-E-Nadaan.

The film is set in my most favourite city where I have spent 27 years. I came to Mumbai when I was 16 years old. I put myself through college, started my modelling career in Mumbai, arriving all alone from Bangalore. I remember very clearly how I felt completely small and insignificant the first time I landed in Mumbai as a wide-eyed kid without my family which has always been based in Bangalore. Mumbai has been very kind to me. I’ve had my fair share of relationships, romantic and otherwise. Had days when I felt extremely lonely in a big, bustling metropolis, in an industry that is all consuming. Then you meet people along the way who impact your life in various ways. Some have been there for a reason, a season; some have lasted a lifetime. And I think this is what this film is really about. It's about people living in a massive, bustling metropolis like Mumbai, over different time periods, through love stories set in different timelines.

What is your track about?

What I love about my track with Mohit, is that it’s literally two people who meet like ships passing in the night, as they say. So you could have walked past somebody a million times and not known them and then sort of formed a relationship years later. People have a lot of differences, come from different communities, different religions, different social strata in life. Does love truly conquer all? Or, is there a reality check to that? Everybody tends to look at love through rose tinted glasses. And it's not necessarily that way. I love that it's a slightly more mature story as well. It's about giving yourself a second chance. That's the most important takeaway from the film, that it's not so much does love conquer all as much as it is do you owe it to yourself to give yourself a second chance in life.

Are these the reasons you wanted to play the part of Ramona?

One was definitely the script and the fact that the characters were uncomplicated. I love how the stories actually came together at one point of time. Secondly, the opportunity to work with Mohit. I didn't have a reference of Mohit in his iconic character, that everybody in the country knows him for, which is for Mahadev. I actually saw him in a show based on the Battle of Saragarhi (21 Sarfarosh – Saragarhi 1897). My father was watching this show and I caught it one day with him and enjoyed it so much that I actually sat through the entire show. I didn't know who Mohit was but I found him to be an interesting actor. I love what he brings to screen and I hoped that at some point of time I’d have the opportunity to work with him. Then I saw him again in Uri. You would not think of Mohit and me coming together, and I think ours is a nice, fresh pairing in Ishq-E-Nadaan.

You have been getting varied roles recently – from Hundred to Kaun Banegi Shikharwati to Charlie Chopra. It’s quite a change from the earlier glamorous characters we have seen you play previously.

For me, getting older has been the most liberating experience of my life, and not just with my work. There are things that come my way that I read the first three lines and I know it's not meant for me so I don't have to invest in reading it entirely, and things like that. Then you see certain characters and I know right off the bat that this is something that I want to do. I will do Hundred where I am the main protagonist, or Hiccups and Hookups which was a great show for me, because it just spoke to a lot of things — mothers who have teenagers, who went through divorce or had messy relationships. The work you will see me doing this year — I've got three shows coming out — are very varied characters. They may not be central characters in the narrative, but they give me an opportunity to portray something that I've never done before — and I've been in the business for 20 years, and to work with the kind of directors I've always wanted to work with. Those filmmakers didn't make the kind of films that I was doing when I was in my 20s and now you have that synergy. They're able to see beyond the fact that one was Miss Universe with this glamorous persona. They're able to see me as an actress.

This has just been the most exciting period of my professional life. Plus, I get to work with incredible actors like Neena Gupta and Ratna Pathak Shah, who I absolutely loved and adored. I'm working alongside them now and they are so much older than me. So, from where I am standing, I can see that the future is bright.

Mohit Raina

What is about Ishq-E-Nadaan and Ashutosh’s character that appealed to you?

It's an anthology film about three couples, six people, in Mumbai. It’s a story about their interpersonal relationships. It's a very nice, simple, soothing love story, which kind of touches your love chords. I play a guy who's been staying in Mumbai for a long time. He works in the hospitality industry, has a six year old daughter and doesn't wish to start his personal life all over again. He’s always been in love with his wife who has passed away. How he meets a different person and what is the outcome, what's the journey is what the story is about.

Was there anything about working with Lara Dutta that surprised you?

It was beautiful working with her. She is such a senior actress with so much experience. And I think this is one of those times when you kind of think about the crown that she carried, and you think about the actress that she is, and then she turns out to be a very simple, punctual and professional actress. So, I was really looking forward to working with her and I had a great experience.

After doing action, drama, mythologicals, what was it like playing a romantic character?

I feel really good about it because I've always held different types of weapons, arms and ammunition in my hands. This is one of those times when you want to write a letter or want to hold a rose in your hand and gift it to someone. So I think it was a complete transition and it was a different experience altogether, where love takes over and nothing else matters. So it was a great learning, getting back to and nurturing the romantic side in you and trying to do a different work.

What else are you working on?

I finished shooting Mumbai Diaries Season 2 and there's another action series that I have done for Disney+ Hotstar. Both should be out soon, hopefully.