Lauren Gottlieb opens up on her absence from films: ‘I was unhappy, turned to alcohol, prescription drugs’
Lauren Gottlieb, who made her debut in Bollywood with ABCD: Any Body Can Dance, took a break from films to battle mental health issues. She is now back in India and looking to resume work.
Lauren Gottlieb burst on the Bollywood scene in 2012 with Remo D’Souza’s ABCD: Any Body Can Dance. Though she quickly became a household name, thanks to her amazing dance moves, she suddenly went missing in action.
In an interview with Mumbai Mirror, Lauren revealed that she went on a downward spiral of mental health issues. “On the social media I continued to present a happy-go-lucky face, but deep down, I was sad and unhappy, seeking solace in alcohol, prescription drugs or anything that could make me happy,” she said.
Lauren, who took off to New York, said she confided in a friend that she was in need of help and sought therapy in Los Angeles. Two years of introspection and self-love brought Lauren out of the dark place.
She opened up about how ABCD: Any Body Can Dance came at a time when she needed it the most, after losing out on the lead role in Step Up 4 to a close friend. ABCD: Any Body Can Dance put her on the map, and she shifted base to India. “I fell into the trap of fame and fortune, I got greedy,” she confessed.
Success was far from a gratifying experience for the 31-year-old actor; the intense competition as well as loneliness of coming back to an empty home got to her. She said that she would cry throughout the flight from the US to India but “shut off” her emotions the minute she touched down here.
Having no friends or support system in Bollywood took a toll on Lauren. “I am honest, but I was constantly being lied to. Then, there was the weight of expectations. I was being touted as India’s best dancer and wasn’t allowed to fail,” she said.
Also read: I was homeless for a year, says ABCD actor Lauren Gottlieb
Lauren was approached to play the leading lady opposite Varun Dhawan in ABCD 2, but she decided to take on the supporting part of Olive, the American-Indian dancer. “I was told by the director that I had messed up with my choice of role. I was told different stories by different people,” she said, adding that she was given the cold shoulder during promotions. “I was sidelined completely, cut out of promotions, even some of my portions were edited out of the film. They were the six worst months of my life, and that included my stint as judge in the celebrity TV dance reality show, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa,” she said.
Remo, who launched Lauren in Bollywood, was of little help. “We had a distant relationship. There were a few people in India I wanted to call family, but I didn’t find any support from them. Maybe if I had been more open, they might have been there for me,” she said.
Lauren’s battle with mental health issues began during her stint with So You Think You Can Dance as a teenager. “The competitive scenarios in So You Think You Can Dance brought stress, and stress hormones degenerate your genes. I started taking prescription drugs and making excuses to my best friend to get out of doing things, pushing myself into isolation. By the time I came to India, I was mentally unwell,” she said.
Now, Lauren has finally come out of the dark place in her life, and is looking forward to return to work.
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