Lara Dutta: How This Beauty Queen Reinvented Her Career

Lara Dutta birthday: Actor Lara Dutta, a 22-year-old back then, was introduced to the world in the year 2000 as the second-ever Indian to be crowned Miss Universe after Sushmita Sen. 21 years ago, Dutta claimed the crown at the international beauty pageant alongside her fellow winners- Priyanka Chopra and Dia Mirza, who won the title of Miss World and Miss Asia Pacific respectively. But in the two decades that followed, Dutta has emerged to be more than just a beauty pageant winner.

Dutta, who celebrated two decades of her accomplishment last year, reminisced about the moment when she was crowned Miss Universe 2000. While commenting on the throwback video shared from Miss Universe's official Twitter she unveiled the reason behind her “calmness” on stage.

"For all that 'calm' I was a bundle of nerves! Smiling face with open mouth and smiling eyes. Every time I look at this, I keep thinking I must have tapped into some zen zone! Grace from above!" she wrote.

For all that ‘calm’ I was a bundle of nerves!!! 😄. Every time I look at this, I keep thinking I must have tapped into some zen zone!! 😂😂. Grace from above! 🙏😇 https://t.co/jxp3SmIS3W

— Lara Dutta Bhupathi (@LaraDutta) July 8, 2020

The Indian actor who turns 43 today, was born to Wing Commander L.K. Dutta and Jennifer Dutta. Upon her win, Dutta's hometown Bangalore rejoiced and came down to the streets to celebrate her. Harking back to the day, she described the scene in an Instagram post and wrote that Bangalore “came out in full force to give her the biggest, grandest welcome she has ever experienced”.

Making her way into cinema

Just like the many beauty queens that preceded and followed her, Dutta went on to pursue a career in films. Dutta was scheduled to make her debut in Tamil cinema with the film Arasatchi, which hit the screens in 2004 after a delay of two years. By then, she had made her Hindi film debut with Andaaz, alongside Chopra and Akshay Kumar. The romantic film, which was a hit at the box office, won her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.

After a few hiccups along the path, the actor got her first biggest hit when she starred in the comedy film No Entry. In the 2007 film Partner she shared the screen with Salman Khan and Govinda.

In 2010, the actor tied the knot with the Indian tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi and two years later they had their first child, Saira Bhupathi.

Dutta continued working in films and eventually released the Chalo Dilli as a producer in 2011, in which she featured alongside Vinay Pathak.

In the year 2019, the actor featured in the six-part series British historical drama titled Beecham House. The show was set in the backdrop of Delhi during the Mughal period and the story revolved around the Beecham family.

The entrepreneur we know

Alongside a successful acting career, she forayed into the business market with the launch of her skincare range Arias. The entrepreneur describes her brand as a culmination of her "experience as an actress, model, mother and entrepreneur".

Speaking of her beauty brand, she said in an interview, “There is always pressure on women like us who find the need to look 'perfect' all the time because we get photographed so much, but I find that nothing in our life regardless of what the lifestyle is should hold you back from looking your best. I feel that it is crucial to provide yourself with the best skin food that you can afford to provide yourself with”.

Lara Dutta claimed that the skincare products primarily curated for women are equally effective on men. “My husband swears by my products,” she claimed in the same interview.

Here's what she is up to now

Last year, actor Lara Dutta made her digital debut with the comedy series titled Hundred which streamed on Hotstar. After featuring in the OTT series, she spoke up about her experience of working in the film industry for years, which she labelled "hero-driven and male-dominated".

“I have worked in what has been a misogynistic industry and even now, the film industry remains hero-driven and male-dominated. As women, you learn how to navigate that in your own way,” she said.

This year, the actor will make her mainstream comeback with the much-anticipated spy thriller Bellbottom. The ensemble cast of the film also includes Akshay Kumar, Vaani Kapoor, Huma Qureshi. Bellbottom is slated to hit the screens on May 28.