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Water baby

Lara Dutta on her scuba diving experience on the sets of Blue and taking Art of Living to New Zealand

What’s your advice to all the young beauty queens who plan to move to Bollywood?

It’s not a cake walk. I truly feel you have to invest time in looking good and building your model portfolio. You also need to invest time in workshops and various other classes. Remember that while you may have the looks that could give you an edge, you must also have talent.

What was the transition like from beauty queen to Bollywood star?

The transition is something I really don’t dwell on a lot because tomorrow, I might just have another transition to something else in life. It’s a feel good situation right now but I want to strive for more.

Tell us a little about your character in Blue.

Well I can’t really spill the beans about the character but to be a little specific, all I can say is that she is a fun character, a water baby who has been in the Bahamas all her life and is very comfortable with the sea. She is always worried about what is happening with the marine life. That’s about all I can say.

What was the scuba diving experience like?

It was simply fabulous, a different experience altogether. I can’t believe I have become a certified scuba diver with five months of experience and practice! My life this year has been all about the water and just training and certifying and all of that. I am a very calm person and this takes you to a different level when you’re underwater. It’s the most silent feeling ever, since it’s just you and the water and the marine life, very magical!

There was speculation that you escaped a blast while shooting for Blue…

When you’re shooting in the deep, you can’t afford to take many chances or takes. A lot of diving was done without oxygen masks, so we (Akshay Kumar was there too) had to do it in one or two takes. Even if there is a blast in the sea, you have to be really careful that you’re not too close. So there wasn’t any harm during the shot.

How was your trip to New Zealand? Were you there for the art of living course?

Yes, it was a good trip to New Zealand but I wasn’t there to relax. New Zealand is a place which has the highest level of suicide rates amongst adolescents. We spoke to their Education Minister about inculcating meditation and yoga in their education system. It was fantastic to take Indian philosophy to children there and see how it helped them.

Any plans of tackling television again after your show ‘Mission Ustad’?

Not at the moment until and unless something phenomenal comes my way. But I would be a guest on a show if asked to since that’s something I enjoy a lot.