Lauren Gottlieb became a household name in 2012 after she starred in Remo D’Souza’s ABCD: Any Body Can Dance. Well, thanks to her impeccable dancing skills. However, soon suddenly went missing in action. Now in an interview with a leading daily, Lauren has opened up on her absence from films and reveals that she went on a downward spiral of mental health issues. “On the social media I continued to present a happy-go-lucky face, but deep down, I was sad and unhappy, seeking solace in alcohol, prescription drugs or anything that could make me happy,” she said.
After realising the same, Lauren took off to New York and confided in a friend that she was in need of help. Post therapy in Los Angeles and two years of introspection and self-love, she was finally out of the dark phase. She further talked about how ABCD: Any Body Can Dance came to her at a time when she needed it the most as she had then lost out on the lead role in Step Up 4 to a close friend. Soon, she shifted base to India. “I fell into the trap of fame and fortune, I got greedy,” she confessed.
Although she was getting fame and success, the intense competition as well as loneliness of coming back to an empty home made her unhappy. The 31-year-old disclosed how she would cry throughout the flight from the US to India but 'shut off' her emotions the minute she touched down Mumbai. “I am honest, but I was constantly being lied to. Then, there was the weight of expectations. I was being touted as India’s best dancer and wasn’t allowed to fail,” she said.
Lauren next was approached to play the leading lady opposite Varun Dhawan in ABCD 2 but she took on the supporting part of Olive, the American-Indian dancer, as she could relate to it more. “I was told by the director that I had messed up with my choice of role. I was told different stories by different people,” she said, adding that she was "sidelined completely, cut out of promotions, even some of my portions were edited out of the film. They were the six worst months of my life, and that included my stint as judge in the celebrity TV dance reality show, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa." When asked if she found support in Remo, she quipped, “We had a distant relationship. There were a few people in India I wanted to call family, but I didn’t find any support from them. Maybe if I had been more open, they might have been there for me."
Now, Lauren is finally in a healthy mental state and is looking forward to return to work. She also plans to travel to new places and share and learn from new experiences.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
