Bollywood Zone : Blog, Movies, Celebs

Everyone learns from their mistakes. But sometimes people get really bitter about it. Sometime ago, Tanushree Dutta had a fall-out with her once-upon-a-time good friend, Riya Sen, so we asked her if she was once bitten, twice shy, and would she make friends in Bollywood again? Pat came the reply, “It’s not only about people in the film industry. It’s about people anywhere, belonging to any industry. I agree there’s such stiff competition in Bollywood that friends turn foes, but tell me one place in the world where this does not happen? I am an optimist, and I can’t stop making friends owing to one bad experience.” We like that attitude gal. That was quite a biting reply.

As a newcomer, Tanushree Dutta has been quite lucky. While most newbies get a small bite of the pie, she got to play sololead in films. So, how did the item girl tag get attached to her? “Don’t call me an item girl!” she exclaims. “The song in 36 China Town was a far cry from the jhatak matak item songs we see today. I’m doing a string of films with Subhash Ghai’s production house, so this was a way of showing them my gratitude. Others use item numbers as a stepping stone, but I did it with a motive to work with a certain director. But I do admit that hit numbers do get us plenty of scope to perform during shows abroad,” she says.

She also says, “Technically, item numbers just offer more entertainment value. Being mainstream actors, we take liberties to do different things on screen. The minute a certain tag is attached, it hangs onto us for really long. I do fear being stereotyped and labelled.”

So was it her ‘beauty queen’ tag that helped her bag roles from good banners unlike other newcomers, who sometimes have no choice but to do B-grade films? She quickly defends, “I would rather sit at home and sulk, than do B-grade films. All the films that I’m doing are top-of-the-league projects, I wouldn’t do a film because I want to look busy and be busy. Even if I do two films a year, I find myself running short of time to do other things. I wouldn’t say that its plain luck; it’s a matter of choice.”

Actress Tanushree Dutta is back in shape. In between, Dutta had to put on weight for her South film Veerparda. She says, “In the South, you have to look healthy to be accepted and I was told to put on about 8 kgs. I think I managed to put on 5 kgs!” Dutta has always been conscious about her diet and eats only home food, cooked by a maid who has received special training by her mother to make all her favourite dishes without oil. Even after a long shoot, she makes time to walk on the treadmill and lifts weights regularly. She says, “Thankfully, I have a quick metabolism and can shed weight as easily as I can gain it. All I have to do is control my intake of sweets.”

Tanushree feels being all skin and bones is passe. “It’s not only in the South. Rani, Preity, Kareena – top actresses in Bollywood too are required not to be skinny . They all look like regular people with healthy bodies . To be a Miss India winner you have to be really thin, but otherwise the skinny look is out,” she says.

She’s comfortably settled in to the big world of Bollywood, but being a non-Mumbai gal, it was quite an ordeal for Tanushree Dutta. “I come from a small town. The kind of lifestyle I had is very different from what most Mumbai girls have. For me, moving out of my home was a very big step. In fact, it was the biggest move I ever made. My parents had discussions for days and nights before letting me take this step. They even laid conditions for me – I had to secure 90 per cent in my board exams. Their approval is very important to me. So, convincing them wasn’t easy at all,” says the young actor. Well, the gal’s turned out to be quite a fast mover.

Laughed: It was two days ago while watching Phir Hera Pheri with my friends. The film is hilarious.

Cried: Recently, when my parents went on a vacation. The thought of staying without them made me cry.

Took a rickshaw: It was a long time ago, when I was in Jamshedpur; my sister and I used to ride in a cycle rickshaw from one end of the lane to another.

Went to a subzi mandi: It was during the shooting of the song sequence Halka halka sa yeh nasha, which was shot in a subzi mandi. While everyone was busy shooting the song, I took time out to shop for veggies. I cook and am very particular about the ingredients that I use, so I prefer to do my own shopping.

Walked out from a theatre: Never. I always sit through the entire movie and curse myself later. But then I avoid a film made by the same director, the next time.

Lost something precious: It was a shawl that my mother had given me during the making of Ashique Banaya Aap Ne. We were shooting in a local train in London when I misplaced the shawl. I did not have the courage to tell my mother that I had lost the shawl. But she found out eventually and was very upset.

Went to a restaurant: A couple of days ago. I went to Oh! Calcutta in Andheri and had smoked hilsa with rice.

Read a book: I am reading The Da Vinci Code now. I saw the film and failed to understand certain portions. So I thought of reading the book to clear my doubts.

Went on a long drive: Two months ago, when I went to Pune with a group of friends.

Said ‘I love you’: I say that all the time to a special person… now don’t ask me his name.

Said ‘I hate you’: I don’t say that to anyone, because you can only say that to someone you love.

Fought: It has to be with my sister. My day would be incomplete without a tiff with my sister. Fighting with her is like taking my daily dose of Chyawanprash.

Cooked: Last week, when I made mince curry, fish curry and rice for my friends. I cook quite well and call my friends home frequently, especially when I decide to experiment.

Kissed someone: Hmm… I don’t remember. Wait let me think… Oh yes! But sorry, I didn’t record the time and the date!

Went on a date: A couple of months ago. It was cool and lasted for a day only! Before you ask me… I can’t divulge the name.

Unlike the past wounds inflicted on her by the harsh attitude of friends – Riya Sen and Koena Mitra, this time Tanushree Dutta is nursing a hurt of a different kind. The actress fell from her make-up van while shooting for Subhash Ghai’s Good Boy Bad Boy at Sophia College, Mumbai, and injured herself. She was in her make-up van when an assistant came to call her. “I was wearing high-heeled shoes and missed a step while climbing down from my make-up van. I fell on the ground and burst into tears,” says Tanushree.

After that incident, Tanushree went ahead and completed her scenes with Tusshar Kapoor and Kabir Sadanand. “But after the pack-up, by body started paining and turned black and blue in several areas. As a result, for the next 15 days I had to live with the pain and at the same time, plaster a dazzling smile whenever in public,” says she.

Neat freak: She’s not too fussy about keeping things clean, but nonetheless says, “I try to keep my stuff organised. Mostly, I do not find the time to actually clean my wardrobe, so I have to depend on my maid for that.”

Eye catching: Her mini kilt. “Right now, the only thing I really adore in my wardrobe is this cute checked, very Scottish-looking cotton mini skirt.”

Passed over: Looks like she’s not too happy with her present wardrobe. “At present, I am in the middle of a revamp. Therefore almost everything in my wardrobe can be ignored.”

Taking stock: She’s not so much a clothes as make-up freak. “I love collecting make-up from different places. I have some 400 different lipsticks in my collection.”

Seasonal must-haves: “Mull cotton dresses, like the ones shown by Nandita Mahtani and others at this year’s fashion week. I think they’re perfect for the weather.” She also stresses the need for denims and short kurtis.

Definitely passable: Anything that is too embroidered and heavy.
Patronising: Tanushree buys a lot of casual clothing from Zara and Forever 21.

Quirky: “Everything in my wardrobe is weird and quirky. My fave is a cat suit which I never wear.”

Steal worthy: “Nothing really in my wardrobe is steal worthy,” she sighs.

Tanushree Dutta has decided to keep away from a few things in life. “First on that list is Riya Sen,” she says. This comes as a consequence of the bitter controversy into which she feels she was unfairly dragged. Apparently Riya Sen had leaked a story to a newspaper about actor Koena Mitra undergoing plastic surgery, then blamed Tanushree for spreading the rumours.

“When I found my name dragged into an unnecessary controversy, I thought I had to take a firm stand for myself,” says Tanushree. “I am going to maintain a distance from her. Koena is my friend. Where’s the question of my spreading any rumours about her?” “I hate ontroversies,” she adds. “Yet, the more I try to keep away from them, the more I’m dragged into them. Like the time I changed my secretary earlier this year. It’s something every star does. But my secretary went to the press saying his dues were not paid…”

Meanwhile, Tanushree is at her slimmest best now, thanks to the physical training she is undergoing for Raj Kawar’s untitled film, where her character is complex, with many shades of grey. “I had put on a lot of weight around six months back for a South film I was doing. But now I’m back to my bikini figure!” she says.

Now that she has settled into Bollywood, will she draw the line at exposing, something that most actors do after they establish themselves? “No one has ever forced me to expose,” she says. “I have never done anything that looks indecent. Even if I wear something skimpy, because of the way I carry it, it will look stylish and sensuous and not vulgar. The bikini round in the Miss Universe contest has made me very comfortable with my body.”