“I felt like I was part of Airlift 2”: Lara Dutta shares harrowing experience of returning from Dubai amid US-Iran conflict

Actress Lara Dutta has opened up about her tense experience of travelling back to India from Dubai amid the ongoing tensions linked to the Iran–United States conflict. The actress revealed that the journey felt so dramatic that she joked about being part of a sequel to the 2016 film Airlift.Earlier this month, the actor shared a video on Instagram revealing that she was stranded in Dubai with her daughter, Saira, during the conflict. She has now returned to India and, in a recent interview with Hindustan Times, spoke about the circumstances that led to the stressful journey.Lara said she had temporarily shifted to Dubai so that her daughter could train with a specific tennis coach there, while her husband, former tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi, was in London for work. As a result, she and her daughter were alone in Dubai when the tensions escalated.Recalling the situation, she said, “We lived just about 10 kms away from the Jebel Ali Port, which was being bombed every day. So we decided to take a chance, as I wanted to be with my husband and my family. We drove two hours to Fujairah, and just a day earlier, Fujairah port and the oil refinery had been bombed. It was scary, I am not going to lie about it. I was joking with my co-star Akshay Kumar that I felt like I was part of Airlift 2.”The actress further revealed that the tension continued even when they reached the airport. “We could hear the explosions,” Lara said, adding, “Hats off to the airlines as well. I am very sure my daughter is going to have some amount of trauma after this experience.”Apart from Lara, several other Indian celebrities were reportedly stranded in Dubai during the crisis, including Sonal Chauhan, Esha Gupta and Vishnu Manchu. While Sonal and Esha have since returned to India, there has been no update yet on Vishnu’s travel status.Also Read: Lara Dutta drops emotional tribute to Deanne Panday; praises her son Ahaan Panday in his debut film Saiyaara

Mar 13, 2026 - 21:30
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“I felt like I was part of Airlift 2”: Lara Dutta shares harrowing experience of returning from Dubai amid US-Iran conflict

Actress Lara Dutta has opened up about her tense experience of travelling back to India from Dubai amid the ongoing tensions linked to the Iran–United States conflict. The actress revealed that the journey felt so dramatic that she joked about being part of a sequel to the 2016 film Airlift.

Earlier this month, the actor shared a video on Instagram revealing that she was stranded in Dubai with her daughter, Saira, during the conflict. She has now returned to India and, in a recent interview with Hindustan Times, spoke about the circumstances that led to the stressful journey.

Lara said she had temporarily shifted to Dubai so that her daughter could train with a specific tennis coach there, while her husband, former tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi, was in London for work. As a result, she and her daughter were alone in Dubai when the tensions escalated.

Recalling the situation, she said, “We lived just about 10 kms away from the Jebel Ali Port, which was being bombed every day. So we decided to take a chance, as I wanted to be with my husband and my family. We drove two hours to Fujairah, and just a day earlier, Fujairah port and the oil refinery had been bombed. It was scary, I am not going to lie about it. I was joking with my co-star Akshay Kumar that I felt like I was part of Airlift 2.”

The actress further revealed that the tension continued even when they reached the airport. “We could hear the explosions,” Lara said, adding, “Hats off to the airlines as well. I am very sure my daughter is going to have some amount of trauma after this experience.”

Apart from Lara, several other Indian celebrities were reportedly stranded in Dubai during the crisis, including Sonal Chauhan, Esha Gupta and Vishnu Manchu. While Sonal and Esha have since returned to India, there has been no update yet on Vishnu’s travel status.

Also Read: Lara Dutta drops emotional tribute to Deanne Panday; praises her son Ahaan Panday in his debut film Saiyaara

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