She
is the quintessential cool brunette whose ethereal
beauty subsumes an intricate commingling of
feminine essence from both East and the West.
Born to an Indian father and Scottish mother,
Lara represents the best of both worlds. Her
vibrant westernized sex appeal is always laced
with traditional Indian glamour. Born in April
16, 1978, she won a cakewalk victory in the
2000 Miss Universe contest. But before being
crowned Miss Universe she had already made a
mark on the Indian fashion scene when she won
the prestigious Gladsrags modeling competition
in 1997. Among other things, the Gladrags win
brought to Lara a four-year modeling contract
with the cosmetic giant L’Oreal
As brand ambassador for L’Oreal she became
the face of beauty in India and it turned somewhat
inevitable that she should pursue a career in
films. She made her film debut in 2003 with
Andaaz, co-starring Akshay Kumar and Priyanka
Chopra. The film did well at the box-office
and Lara managed to make a mark not just with
the audience but also with the critics. Best
of all the film won for her the Filmfare Best
Debut Award. Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost followed
on heels of Andaaz; the film saw her in the
role of a bubbly talkative character called
Kesar. Lara played the role with aplomb and
the audience relished every inch of the film.
Beyond the arc lights of the world famous pageants
and blockbuster movies, there is much about
Lara to keeps fans enchanted. She enjoys classical
dance, reading autobiographies and extreme sports
such as rock climbing and bungee jumping. According
to the Miss India-Universe site, they state
her ethnically as Tamil/Punjabi/Nordic. An ultimate
product of globalization is one of the best
fitting terms. When she was three years old,
her family moved to Bangalore, where she finished
High School. She then went on to graduate from
Bombay University with a major in economics
and minor in communications.
Maybe it is the Nordic in her blood that makes
her so open about her relationships. Her attitude
towards the men in her life is refreshingly
blunt. You cannot but admire her for the panache
with which she handles all aspects of her life.
In 2001, she created lots of ripples in United
States by dating New York Yankees shortstop,
Derek Jeter. Their relationship lasted for approximately
one year. But lots of water has flown under
the river of Lara’s life since 2001. Kelly
Dorji has successfully occupied the space vacated
by Derek. He is the beau in her life and the
rumor mills keep blaring that they plan to tie
the knot in very near future.
In her Maxim interview, when the interviewer
asked her what Kelly got that other men don’t.
Lara’s reply to the question was typically
crisp. She said, “Well one thing he [Kelly]
does not have is hair. For the rest he’s
super confident and very comfortable with himself.
And he makes me laugh like no one else.”
If anything, it is refreshing to come across
a Bollywood babe such as Lara, who never minces
words while discussing the most intimate aspects
of her life. She considers Kelly not just her
lover, but also her most valued friend. She
says, “It’s all about that underlying
elusive quality. Your guy can also be your buddy.
And the bedroom too can be fun!” Why only
bedroom, anywhere in the world can be fun when
you have Lara beside you. We’re sure Kelly
would definitely agree to that.
