Lara Dutta turns producer with Challo Dilli. (Screen Photo)
This April-end, the beautiful Lara Dutta will make her debut as a film producer, and enter what is quintessentially a man’s world. There are raised eyebrows and speculations as her first film, Chalo Dilli, which is produced under her banner, Bheegi Basanti and her husband Mahesh Bhupathi’s Big Daddy Productions releases on April 29.
But looking confident and cheerful, the actress, who is seated in Mahesh’s sprawling office, feels it is a film to be looked forward to because “I have always been part of masala films, but Chalo Dilli is the kind of cinema in which I have always believed. It’s the story of two of the most unlikely people coming together on a journey, and being forced to depend on each other. It is not a woman-oriented subject but a story where the female actor has an equally important role as her male co-star,” says the actress.
Her turning producer was not surprising, at least not to herself, because it was a dream she had always nurtured. It was how it came about that was sudden. “When Shashant Shah came to me with the script he wanted me to act in the film. But after the cast and everything were finalised, he did not get a producer for three months. That is when I showed the script to Mahesh who already had his own production house. It was he who came up with the suggestion that we produce it together. A lot of my male counterparts have turned producers, so why should women be left behind? And then there is a serious dearth of good roles for women in our films. At least as a producer I can ensure that I am part of something challenging,” reasons the actress.
Amidst chuckles, Lara elaborates how the name Bheegi Basanti came about. “I am a big Sholay fan and loved the name Basanti and somehow wanted to use it. Naming my production house was a good idea. And I added Bheegi which brings to mind a Hindi film heroine under a waterfall, and suits my mad personality.”
Mahesh and she as co-producers make a good combo thinks Lara, as the sportsperson is business-savvy, while she has a creative mind. And both are film buffs. “I came to know that Mahesh is a huge lover of Hindi films after I got to know him. In fact I was surprised at his knowledge of cinema as he could rattle off the names of directors and music directors of old films. He was very involved with the film,” says the proud wife.
Of course with his hectic schedule as an active sportsperson, Mahesh could not be physically present everywhere with Lara, and that is the time the actress took over completely. “Initially my role was more creative, in terms of scripting and casting, but I got a lot more involved once we went to shoot on locations in Rajasthan, because Mahesh was not there. I had to keep a check on shooting schedules and ensure that they did not go haywire. But it was an interesting experience for me to get into the nitty-gritty of production, after being an actor for a 13-hour-shift,” says the first-time producer.
The most challenging part of being a producer, besides choosing the right subject, cast, music etc. was the finance part. “For me, it became more challenging not because I was a woman, but because I was used to dealing with everyone as an actor. As an artiste I don’t go asking people for the money that they owe me. I have a secretary who does that for me. But as a producer I am responsible for all the technicians who work under me. That part is tough, though I am finding my way around. The easy part was that having been part of the industry for a number of years, I had the connections and the bank of people I needed to make a film,” she says.
As for the kind of films that she would like to produce, it would be a mix of off-beat cinema and the typical masala concoctions. “I want Bheegi Basanti to be known for making interesting films, which are not necessarily your conventional kind. Those are the kind of films that excite me creatively, and as an actor, and today fortunately there is a market for them. Of course I would like to make films with Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan too! And hopefully at some point I can make both simultaneously,” says the actress.
Coming back to Chalo Dilli, what has Lara smiling is her unusual pairing with Vinay Pathak. Not only are they mismatched when it comes to looks, even the kind of cinema they do is different. “I must say that it was really challenging to work with an actor like him. It was the same when I was doing Billu with Irrfan. They have an approach that is different from the commercial actors. Like once Vinay steps into a role he is completely occupied by it, making it extremely convincing. In this film he plays a saree trader from Chandini Chowk, Delhi who is uncouth and obnoxious, and even when the camera was off he would continue behaving like his character Manu Gupta. Watching him changed my approach to acting, and I also started behaving like the rich Mihika, who is ten times more pompous than any person I know! The film has only these two characters and not for a minute could either of us slacken, because that would mean losing the audience. Vinay made sure nothing like that happened.”
As for her doing a television show that is based on Extreme Makeover, Lara said that she is still considering the proposal. “It is an interesting show, but is not based on Extreme Makeover. But television is hard work, something I realised when I did a couple of shows in the US as a judge. For me to take up television, firstly it has to be challenging and secondly it should be short.”
She has no regrets about not being part of Sajid Khan\'s Housefull 2, the sequel to last years hit film, Housefull, which had her playing Riteish Deshmukh\'s wife. “I loved being part of Housefull. It was a great character, but you can pull it to one point. Continuing playing it would have been like flogging a dead horse.But I am looking forward to Don 2, in which my character is extremely sophisticated, and very well thought out by director Farhan Akhtar.”
She is also toying with a film offer, or might just produce another film. “I would even like to direct a film in the future. But as of now I am very excited to see how Chalo Dilli is going to fare. I am thrilled by the response so far,” she says looking pleased.
And how is life after marriage? “The same! I see so little of Mahesh, which was the case even before we got married!”
