For Don 2, the chase begins in Berlin. The 50-day schedule in Germany has the support of the Berlin-Brandenburg film promotion company, Medienboard, that has reportedly invested 550,000 euros ($705,000) in the project.
“I’m told we will be shooting in locations that were off-limits to even Tom Cruise,” exults Lara Dutta, a new addition to the cast. “I’ve been to Berlin before, many years ago, and I can’t wait to go back.”The actor recalls that at a screening of Billu (2009) in London, she met some of Shah Rukh Khan’s German loyalists who air-dash to whichever part of the globe the superstar visits. "And after Billu’s release, I’ve been getting tons of fan mail from Germany too," she laughs.
Super-excited about working with SRK again, Lara describes him as a charismatic, charming and chivalrous co-star. In Billu, she was paired with Irrfan Khan. So, except for one song and a scene, she didn’t interact with him much. But in the Don sequel, she’ll get far more screen space with SRK despite the presence of Priyanka Chopra.
Mystery miss
“After the de-glam Billu, I’m ultra-glam in Don 2. And while wearing simple cotton saris and no make-up gives you a chance to focus on your performance, sometimes it’s nice to concentrate on shoes and skirts too,” Lara smiles, adding that she’s not there just to up the glam quotient. “I’m playing a classy woman who does what she does for kicks. Sorry can’t say more, it would kill the suspense.”
Lara’s character is completely new and original, with no reference points or hangovers. And she can’t be happier. “It must have been scary for Priyanka in Don to have to measure up to Zeenat Aman who played the lead in the original. Or for Kareena (Kapoor) to replicate Helen aunty’s moves in the song, Yeh mera dil… Fortunately, I have never done any remakes and the only comparisons I’ve drawn were with Sridevi in comic scenes,” she points out.
Mystery miss
“After the de-glam Billu, I’m ultra-glam in Don 2. And while wearing simple cotton saris and no make-up gives you a chance to focus on your performance, sometimes it’s nice to concentrate on shoes and skirts too,” Lara smiles, adding that she’s not there just to up the glam quotient. “I’m playing a classy woman who does what she does for kicks. Sorry can’t say more, it would kill the suspense.”
Lara’s character is completely new and original, with no reference points or hangovers. And she can’t be happier. “It must have been scary for Priyanka in Don to have to measure up to Zeenat Aman who played the lead in the original. Or for Kareena (Kapoor) to replicate Helen aunty’s moves in the song, Yeh mera dil… Fortunately, I have never done any remakes and the only comparisons I’ve drawn were with Sridevi in comic scenes,” she points out.
AB or SRK?
Ask her which of the two Dons she liked better and she chooses the diplomatic route. “The earlier Don was a cult film, but Farhan (co-producer and director Farhan Akhtar) and Ritesh (co-producer Ritesh Sidwani) did a super job with the remake. Besides, both Mr Bachchan (Amitabh Bachchan) and Shah Rukh are great actors and brought their personalities to their roles,” she reasons. “As a child I identified Mr Bachchan with Don, but now I can connect him with Shah Rukh too.”
Mahesh in Berlin?
Lara, who recently got engaged to tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi, was in Chennai to cheer him and Team India to a Davis Cup win. But she has not been spotted at the on-going Commonwealth Games. That’s because Lara has been busy trying to wrap up all her commitments before she flies off to Germany for a month-and-a-half.
Besides, she admits, that it is nerve-wreching to watch Mahesh play. “I want him to hit every shot and win every match,” she says, hoping that her fiancé will be able to join her in Berlin during the Don 2 shoot in between matches.
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