Lara Dutta recalls Deepika Padukone shooting Housefull with malaria, calls her ‘an absolute professional’: 'She was drained out'

As Housefull completes 16 years, Lara Dutta looks back at the memories of the film that went on to become a massive franchise. In a recent conversation, the actress opened up about the camaraderie on set and made a surprising revelation about co-star Deepika Padukone’s dedication during the shoot.

Recalling the filming days in Italy, Lara told NDTV, “We went to Italy and we were like a big family on holiday. And I mean, Sajid Nadiadwala created this environment for us where we were all staying together. And when production is seamless and smooth, then all the issues also calm down... it becomes conducive to working.”

‘Deepika had malaria... but showed up every day’

Lara then revealed that not many people know Deepika Padukone was battling a serious illness during the shoot.

She shared, “A lot of people don’t know this, that during the filming of Housefull, Deepika actually felt really sick. She had malaria. And she was absolutely wiped out. So they had to get her a doctor and put her on medication.”

Highlighting her commitment, Lara added, “She was running a high fever all night, shivering and taking medication. And then the next morning, because we had a fixed schedule with multiple actors, she would show up on set. You could see that she was totally drained and wiped out. But she was an absolute professional. She got her work done. There was absolutely no drop in her performance.”

‘You have to give her credit for that’

Praising her co-star further, Lara said, “As an actor, you have to give another actor credit for that because I know how difficult it is when you're completely wiped out. Malaria absolutely knocks you out—it’s not like having a cold or a mild fever.”

She also spoke about Deepika’s personality, adding, “She’s not shy, she’s reserved. She’s very clear and focused on what she needs to do. And when each actor knows exactly what they’re supposed to do and brings their craft to the set, that’s when the magic happens.”


Directed by Sajid Khan, Housefull starred Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Deepika Padukone, and Lara Dutta in lead roles, alongside Boman Irani, Arjun Rampal, and Lillete Dubey.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”