Troubled but not unsafe: Teary-eyed Lara Dutta, stuck in Dubai with daughter
Lara Dutta on Wednesday shared that she is stuck in Dubai with her daughter Saira. He praised the UAE government for ensuring the safety of citizens.
In a series of updates, actress Lara Dutta opened up about being “stressed” and “nervous” about being in Dubai amid the sudden escalation of the US-Iran conflict. The actor is in Dubai with his daughter Saira, and revealed that what was supposed to be a routine brand-related trip has taken a scary turn.
Lara spoke about her traumatic experience in a studio, where she heard explosions and saw missiles falling in the air. Currently, the wife of tennis legend Mahesh Bhupathi is looking forward to completing her commitments and returning home safely to Mumbai.
She said, “We have been in Dubai since the beginning of what is being called the Israel-Iran war. The UAE, Dubai, has been my home for the last three years. I have spent a lot of time here. I was actually shooting in a studio in Dubai on the 28th.” My daughter is here with me, Mahesh had gone out for work, thankfully he was not in Dubai.”
The actor also talked about seeing fighter jets overhead and hearing loud bangs. “But I just want to say that we are nervous, and it is scary. There are a lot of fighter planes flying overhead, there is very loud thunder. Even though we live in a villa in a very safe neighborhood, the windows shake, the house and doors rattle, and it is disturbing. But I have not once felt unsafe.”
Expressing her gratitude to the UAE government, she stressed, “I just want to say that the UAE government has done an incredible job. I think, for every single person – I won’t speak for anyone else – we felt really cared for. We felt wanted, we felt protected, no matter what our nationality or where we were from.”
The actor further added, “We feel like we matter, we matter. The UAE government, as a resident, as someone living in this city, is making sure they do everything in their power to protect us and keep us safe. I’m amazed. My gardener is mowing my lawn every day, watering the plants.”
At the end of the video, Lara spoke with tears in her eyes. He said, “I have a lot of respect and admiration for normal, ordinary people who have no choice in wanting to get out, who are running this country. We are actually considering flights; not too many, but there are a few, Etihad and Emirates. But we are considering flights to get back to Mumbai. Even more so, because I think the kids are a lot more nervous about this. We are adults too. We put it together for the kids. So we are considering flights and trying to get out somehow.”
Lara also talked about the dispute between India and Pakistan last year. She said, “I was in India when there was a war between India and Pakistan. We saw how well our country protected us there. It is the same here too.”
He concluded, “No citizen deserves to live in fear or be trapped in a war that destabilizes the entire region. I hope common sense prevails. Whoever is making these decisions will have better judgment. Until then. We will continue.”
Earlier, Mumbai-based Iranian-German actor Elnaz Norozi spoke about Iran’s past, compared it with India’s diversity and reflected on democracy, identity and the fear of returning home.
Earlier, Iranian actress Mandana Karimi also spoke about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, shared her personal troubles and condemned the Iranian regime, which she called a ‘cancer cell’ in the region.