I love being me - Lara Dutta

Tell us something about Lara, the person.

For starters, I love being me. I take good care of myself because I think it is a big part of being yourself. Also, I think the older one gets the more one needs to care for oneself.

I don't smoke or drink [I never have]. I am a pure vegetarian and believe in a holistic approach to good health. I avoid taking allopathic drugs unless I absolutely have to. I propagate and practise homoeopathy and ayurveda. I lead a healthy life and enjoy my work.

How do you manage to keep the real Lara separate from the character you are playing? Has your role ever required going against what you really are?

It is very important to have your very own identity irrespective of the profession you are in. As an actor, I have played many characters through which I have learnt new qualities from each of them. I don't believe in bringing my work home but at times we play characters which require us to acquire skills or qualities that we don't have. These new qualities then end up becoming a part of you and you tend to adapt to them.

For instance, my role in my next film Blue required me to dive and I was hydrophobic! But this role had caught my pulse and I wanted to be a part of this film. I just wanted to overcome my fear and hence took up this challenge. First, I learnt swimming, then scuba diving. Now, here I am loving water so much that I have become a certified diver! Today, diving means experiencing a whole breathtaking and unimaginable new world many meters below.

Read the April 2009 issue of Complete Wellbeing featuring Lara Dutta's answers to questions like

• What is the difference between the Lara before becoming Miss Universe 2000, and Lara of today?
• What is the one thing you want in life?
• How important is health to you? How do you remain fit?
• How do you manage your psychological wellbeing?
• What is your idea of pampering yourself?
• If clothes are who we are, does chasing trends reflect inconsistency?
• What is love to you? How important is it for you to love yourself?
• How do you handle success?
• What did your work involve when you were the UNFPA Goodwill ambassador?
• What role does family play in your life?
• Do you believe in God? How spiritual are you?
• What is your health, happiness and wellbeing advice to Complete Wellbeing readers, especially the women?