This story is from May 6, 2010

Lisa Lazarus liked Indian food

When Lisa Lazarus came to jaipur to shoot for veer, opposite salman khan, she had not bargained for such a cool experience, which, she says, is all because of rajasthan
Lisa Lazarus liked Indian food
When lisa lazarus came to jaipur to shoot for veer, opposite salman khan, she had not bargained for such a cool experience, which, she says, is all because of rajasthan
What do you think about Rajasthan?
Rajasthan is my most memorable visit to India. I remember having breakfast one morning and a monkey came and sat next to me. It was unbelievable. The whole place is so relaxed and peaceful – it made my visit most enjoyable.
What (cuisine, clothes, ambience) did you like the most during your stay in Rajasthan?
I found the Indian food less spicy and the taste more aromatic.
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Rajasthan has more open spaces and of course, it’s a desert. It was wonderful to wake to the sights of horses and carriages, quiet dusty roads and beautiful hand-painted elephants, as compared to the busy Mumbai life. The Amber fort was my best experience. Whenever I had time off from filming, I’d go and feed the elephants and then walk around the fort. It offered the most beautiful view of Jaipur. I even have a photograph of the view in a frame at home.

Were the local people friendly during your visit?
Other actors and I (in Veer) hired some quad bikes. We drove into the desert and stopped at small villages. The people were so welcoming that we ended up staying for dinner in a small hut with over 10 people living there. The wives cooked using a fire in the ground, although we couldn’t communicate, for my Hindi was not good enough. Nonetheless, they helped me learn how to cook.
Which city left an indelible impact on your mind and why?
Jaipur, the Pink City. For, I belong to Wales and it is wonderful to see the Prince of my country to have received such a wonderful and warm welcome in Jaipur. It reminded me of home and it is great to see the wonderful relationship we have between our countries and our people.
Any funny/interesting incident that happened in Rajasthan?
I will tell you more about the morning the monkey came to visit me for breakfast. I was sitting outside and it was a beautiful morning. Before we started filming, the cooks would make a wonderful breakfast.
As i ate my chapati, the monkey came and sat next to me... I thought what a beautiful animal and carried on eating... Salman shouted out to me to give the monkey my chapati... As I took my eyes off the monkey, he jumped on my shoulders took my chapati and ran away. I was quite scared and didn’t want to eat the rest of my breakfast fearing something similar would happen again. At that time, I was really scared. But now I can laugh about it.
When are you planning to come back to Jaipur?
Soon, I hope. I have so many wonderful memories and experiences, my family members also visited Jaipur recently. Sadly, I wasn’t able to accompany them. However, I hope to have the chance to return soon. And this time, on a holiday and not for filming, so that I can get to see a lot more of the place.
Veer, which was shot inside the Amber Fort in Jaipur, also ran into some trouble when a part of the fort crumbled and made news. Did all this make the locals resentful?
There were a lot of stories in the press, but none that worried me. Everybody was more than happy to have us there. It was wonderful seeing them all come to watch us film. When you have that support it makes anything possible. I am glad the issue was resolved and everyone is happy.
Rajasthan is famous for its palaces, forts and lakes. What do you miss the most now?
I miss the open spaces, the great ambience and the sense of freedom I felt there. I am so lucky to have been filming in Amber fort. When filming ended I didn’t want to leave. I will definitely be going back soon to visit.
What all did you buy and from where?
Sadly, I didn’t get much time to go shopping, we started filming early morning and finished late at night but I did get to go to the stalls in Amber fort and I bought a beautiful beaded bracelet for my mum.
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About the Author
Divya Pal

Divya Pal is a copy editor with Delhi Times. Bagging the national level amateur TV journalist award before she turned 20 made her think of journalism as a career option. She joined The Times of India, Delhi, as an intern and worked with the Times’s food critics before she started tracking Hollywood and TV stories for Delhi Times.

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