Lara Dutta recalls Deepika Padukone filming Housefull despite high fever, malaria: ‘Was totally drained and wiped out’

In a recent interview, Lara Dutta also praised Deepika Padukone’s dedication, noting that she isn’t “shy” but rather “reserved.”

As Housefull completes 16 years today (April 30), Lara Dutta took a nostalgic trip down memory lane, revisiting her time on set. The actor recalled a tough phase during the shoot when co-star Deepika Padukone fell ill after contracting malaria, struggling with high fever and bouts of shivering while continuing to work.

Housefull, the first part of the franchise, was released in 2010.

Lara on working with Deepika

In an interview with NDTV, Lara looked back at working with Deepika on Housefull. She revealed that Deepika got extremely sick during the shoot when she got malaria.

Lara said, “But a lot of people don't know this, that during the filming of Housefull, Deepika actually felt really sick. She had malaria. And she was absolutely wiped out. So they had to get her a doctor and put her on medication. And she was a thorough professional because she was running a high fever all night. She was shivering and would have to take these meds. And then the next morning, because we had this fixed schedule, there were multiple actors, and we were shooting scenes during that time that were quite emotional. So she would show up on set, and you could see that she was totally drained and wiped out. But she was an absolute professional. She got her work done. There was absolutely no drop in her performance.”

“And as an actor, you have to give another actor credit for that because I know how difficult it is when you're completely wiped out, and something like malaria absolutely wipes you out. It's not like you just have a cold or you just have a fever. And she was an absolute professional,” she added.

Lara also praised Deepika’s dedication, noting that she isn’t “shy” but rather “reserved.”

About Housefull

Sajid Khan's Housefull starred Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutta, Boman Irani, Arjun Rampal, and Lillete Dubey. It was a massive success that launched the Housefull franchise. It was released in 2010.

Distributed by Eros International Media Limited, Housefull was produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and directed by Sajid Khan. Made at a budget of ₹45 crore, the multi-starrer revolved around Akshay, who plays the world's unluckiest guy and believes his luck will change when he finds true love and gets married.

Housefull film franchise is one of the biggest hit Bollywood comedy film series. The franchise began in 2010 with Housefull, with sequels following in 2012, 2016, 2019, and 2025. Housefull 3 was helmed by Sajid-Farhad. The fourth part was directed by Farhad Samji. Housefull 5, directed by Tarun Mansukhani, also starred Akshay Kumar. It was released last year.