Lara Dutta made her Bollywood debut in the film Andaaz, which also starred Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra. She dipped her toes into the film industry after winning the Miss Universe title in 2000, and she quickly made a name for herself. She was one of the most fashionable actresses of the time, and she was known for staying fit and healthy even while filming. Lara once revealed the reason she goes to the gym so frequently, which made director-producer Karan Johar laugh.
Lara appeared on KJo's show Koffee With Karan alongside Bipasha Basu. The actress had previously suffered a gym injury, and while discussing it, Lara joked that she only goes to the gym to watch handsome men work out. She recalled working on No Entry with Esha Deol, Bipasha Basu, and Salman Khan, all of whom went to the gym first thing every morning.
When KJO asked if she liked working out in the gym with Salman Khan, to answer that Lara said, “I don't know about that, I like to go to the gym so I can look at the men working out. Salman used to work out with them and it was quite an inspiration "to go to the gym to look at good looking men.”
Returning to Lara, she was seen in the film Bell Bottom, alongside Akshay Kumar and Vaani Kapoor. The film was released on August 19, 2021, to mixed reviews from critics. Having said that, Lara's acting as India's late Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, was lauded by everyone.
She is currently starring in the web series Kaun Banegi Shikharwati alongside Naseeruddin Shah, Soha Ali Khan, Kritika Kamra, and Anya Singh.