Get
ready
to
see
Lara
Dutta
in
a
non-glamorous
avatar.
The
pretty
actress
has
portrayed
a
wide
variety
of
roles
and
is
all
ready
to
surprise
a
lot
of
people
with
a
minus
makeup,
minus
glamorous
look
in
SRK's
home-production
Billu
Barber.
"When
Shahrukh
called," reminisces
Lara,
"The
first
thing
that
struck
me
was,
he
may
want
to
cast
me
in
one
of
his
international
shows.
But
when
he
offered
a
film
instead,
I
was
zapped."
However,
the
conversation
that
followed
caught
her
by
complete
surprise.
"He
said
two
things
while
talking
about
the
role
in
Billu
Barber.
One,
it's
not
opposite
him,
but
Irrfan
Khan.
Two,
I've
to
portray
a
mother
of
two
kids.
Since
I
had
enacted
the
role
of
a
single
mom
in
Partner,
I
didn't
mind
playing
a
mom
of
two
here.
And
why
should
I
have
problems
with
Irrfan?
He's
an
incredible
actor."
Prior
to
Lara,
Tabu
and
Amisha
Patel
had
been
offered
the
parts,
which
they
refused
for
reasons
best
known
to
the
makers
and
the
actresses.
"I
was
fully
aware
of
it.
Their
reasons
for
refusing
the
film
could
be
anything,
but
I
had
no
problems
whatsoever.
I
had
worked
with
Priyan-ji
earlier
[Bhagam
Bhag]
and
the
role
offered
me
ample
opportunity
to
exhibit
my
talent,
so
why
should
I
let
go
of
this
film?," she
reasons.
Post
Partner,
one
expected
Lara
to
go
on
a
signing
spree,
but
she
didn't.
"I
was
working
the
whole
of
2008.
But
there's
a
lot
to
look
forward
to
this
year,
starting
with
Billu
Barber,
Banda
Yeh
Bindaas
Hai,
Do
Knot
Disturb
and
Blue.
Just
watch
out," she
smiles.
Story first published: Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 10:09 [IST]