NEW DELHI: After spending a decade in front of the camera, Lara Dutta has taken a break from acting and is putting her designing skills to test by launching a sari collection.
The former Miss Universe, seen in hits like No Entry and Partner, is already the mother of a two-year-old daughter Saira, but says designing is her “new baby”.
“I have done films for 10 years. This [designing] is something new that I have forayed into; so it’s my new baby. I am excited about the response from the customers,” Lara says. She was in New Delhi recently to launch her second sari range in association with Chhabra 555.
The 35-year-old started designing last year, when she created a whole line of saris for women who are keen to strike the right balance between traditionalism and modernity.
“The second collection is far more traditional. Personally I am a big fan of Banarsi saris and many other old-age fabrics; and I wanted to make those weaves younger and more contemporary. Normally, we associate Banarsi saris with our aunts and our mothers but I wanted to give it a younger and trendier feel,” she says.
The model-turned-actor made her Bollywood debut in 2003. In 2011, she married tennis champion Mahesh Bhupathi and the duo started their production house Bheegi Basanti Productions. Chalo Dilli, their production house’s maiden venture, won critical acclaim.
Post-motherhood, Lara’s silver screen appearances have not been frequent, but she has no regrets.
“I think each thing has its own space in life. I enjoyed being busy. My priority (now) is my daughter. That will always be my number one priority. Now she is getting older, so I am getting more time to celebrate and concentrate on my own work; so here I am promoting the brand as much as possible,” she says.
Lara is also known as one of the fittest moms in the industry, but feels it’s no exceptional feat.
“I think today every mom — whether it is Karisma [Kapoor], Shilpa [Shetty] or anyone — wouldn’t want to look fat after giving birth to a baby. They are all fit; so I have done nothing great.”
“Every woman has become a multi-tasker and that keeps all of us fit. I think it’s a normal transition. You put on weight and then you lose it,” she says.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 25th, 2013.
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