Lara Dutta says Akshay Kumar never took advantage of Priyanka Chopra and her: 'He saw two young girls with stars in their eyes..' Lara Dutta and Priyanka Chopra, both of whom rose to prominence after winning international beauty pageants in 2000, began their Bollywood careers together in the film Andaaz, starring Akshay Kumar. The movie marked the debut of both actresses, with Priyanka’s earlier film The Hero: Love Story Of A Spy (with Sunny Deol) serving as her first major project. In a recent interview, Lara Dutta reflected on their early days in the industry and credited Akshay Kumar for being a supportive figure. She described him as a “friend, philosopher, guide” and emphasized the protective environment he provided during their formative years. Speaking to atncanada’s YouTube channel, Lara recounted how Akshay Kumar helped both her and Priyanka navigate the challenges of their careers. She stated, “Both Priyanka and I were coming in right at the same time. He saw two young girls coming in with stars in their eyes and zero guidance and direction. And he never took advantage of that.” Lara highlighted Akshay’s role as a mentor, noting his deep understanding of the industry and his ability to provide direction. She added, “Today, I think he is such an incredibly street-smart person. He knows the business like the back of his hand, he knows what works. So, in that sense, I had a really strong springboard to take off from.” The film Andaaz was produced by Suneel Darshan, who later hinted at a reported romantic relationship between Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra following the movie’s release. At the time, Akshay was married to Twinkle Khanna, and Darshan claimed that this situation caused complications on another project.#priyanka_chopra #akshay_kumar #lara_dutta #andaaz #suneel_darshan
