From the sexy damsel in Masti to a traditional Indian housewife in No Entry, Lara Dutta has come a long way in Bollywood. This beauty queen has been trying out different characters in her film and impressing the audiences with her performances film after film. Zinda is Lara's latest film and she has taken up the challenge to play a very different role in this one. So let's talk with the ex-Miss Universe and know more about her new film Zinda.

How did you get associated with this film?

Actually, Sanjay Gupta approached to me for this film. For Zinda, he wanted some one who is modern day type of girl and who could also do some action scenes as well. Sanjay Gupta then narrated me the script of this film. After hearing the script I was a little nervous because my role in the film is that of a taxi driver and I didn't know how to drive a car. Sanjay Gupta then assured me though that that I should take up driving lessons and it won't be an issue as the crew would take care of everything.

Tell us about your role in Zinda

My character is of a girl who is an Indian by origin but she is brought up in Thailand. Generally, actresses in Sanjay Gupta's film are very glamorous, but my role in this film isn't anywhere close. It was very important for this character to look strong and capable but not very glamorous or made up. Generally, actresses in Sanjay Gupta's film are very glamorous, but my roles in this film isn't anywhere close.

How did you work on your look for this film?

Rocky S styled my clothes in the film. Also, Sanjay Gupta helped us in the process. The color scheme of the film is monochromatic, so I couldn't wear too many colors in the film. But looking at the final product, it feels that the whole look has turned out well. The styling of the characters goes very well with the backgrounds in the film. Besides, Sanjay Gupta works very hard paying attention to every minute detail in the film that also includes the characters of course, so it became easier for me to get into the skin my character.

How difficult was it shooting in Bangkok?

Well, shooting in Bangkok was fun. The only problems we faced were while communicating with the local crew members of Bangkok. People there hardly even speak English, so explaining them what we would need while shooting used to be such a task. We used to ask them for one thing, they would interpret it as something else and there used to be confusion. We also took their help for some of my Thai dialogues. When I was about to perform, they used to gather in front of me with nervous faces, worrying about what she is going to say next. So language was the only problem basically, but then it gave rise to many funny situations.

Any funny incidents during the shooting…

This is the first time I am working with Sanjay Dutt which was like a dream come true. So I was excited but a little nervous too at the same time. But to my surprise he turned out to be such a shy and reserved person. But then he was also played lot of pranks on the sets. From somewhere he got all kinds of insects and locusts and all which he carried in his pockets and made people eat them. Luckily, I was spared from this since I was the only woman on sets. Also, there were three Sanjay's on the sets, which caused a lot of confusion.

How was Sanjay F. Gupta?

I had worked with Sanjay F. Gupta during my modeling days so there is a certain comfort level between us when it comes to work. He is a very calm, quiet guy but a very adventurous person by nature. During breaks on shoots he used to disappear suddenly and visit all these small restaurants in Bangkok trying different kinds of food and also used to get some for us on sets. But professionally, he is brilliant at what he does. The way he shot the film and the over all look of the film is amazing. I think it is always a great experience working with such a talented person.

And now about Sanjay Gupta as a director…

Sanjay Gupta is a very different kind of director. Starting from the kind of topics he chooses to make his films on, to the characterization and his work on the sets, everything is unique about his work. He gave us lot of liberty on sets as actors. Also, during outdoors, he just told us what the shot was and just allowed us to perform the way we wanted to. So that was a very interesting and new experience for me. It made me grow as an actor. The color scheme of the film is monochromatic, so I couldn't wear too many colors in the film.

How were the co-stars?

I worked in many films with John Abraham before. He is a very relaxed and easy going on sets. But he is also a very professional and hard working actor. Throughout the making of this film he was very focused. I didn't really have any scenes with Mahesh Manjrekar so sadly I don't have much experience of working with him. I know Celina since No Entry in which we worked together so we are great friends and she is a very sweet girl to work with.

What is the USP of the film?

Well I guess this film is releasing at the right time. Mainly because there have been many comedy releases last year, so this kind of film will be a good change. It belongs to a very different genre made in a very different way. So I hope audiences will enjoy watching Zinda.