Grey’s Anatomy, the story of a medical intern’s life and loves, has a staunch fan: Lara Dutta.

What makes you such a big fan of Grey’s Anatomy?

I personally love the character of Meredith because, like a lot of people, I can strongly relate to Meredith. There have been many situations in my life in which I have taken inspiration from her character and that is why I am a huge fan of this show. When Meredith and her friends face tough situations, they run to each other for support and validation of the choices they have made. It feels genuine and true to the way we live and operate. Although it’s a medical set-up, the pressures that they face are the same as those faced by us in the corporate sector or films or any other sector. The show is hence, by and large, a depiction of real life.

What, for you, is the underlying message in Grey’s Anatomy?

Grey’s Anatomy focuses on the real-life conflict of coming of age. Dealing with this phase is never easy for any of us and we constantly seek validation to the choices we make to resolve those conflicts and it’s here that our near and dear ones come handy. The other thing that I love about Grey’s Anatomy is that the characters are all very well-defined and are different from each other. But even though they are different they are similar because of the situations that they are in.

What makes Meredith Grey such a universally loved character?

I believe that Meredith has a mind of her own, she makes her own decisions and lives life on her own terms. We face problems in our work and personal life and so does she. And the problems are not extraordinary, they are common, for example, having an affair with the boss, dealing with your colleagues.... She is career-oriented, ambitious and very successful in her profession while trying to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

This is how I am; I started off as an ordinary girl and paved my way through the prestigious titles of Miss India and then Miss Universe. In my earlier days, I faced situations where I went through the phase of not knowing what was right, facing conflicts outside and within myself, not having any clarity. But I did not give up and took up all challenges and emerged victorious in everything that I planned to achieve.

Which season of GA did you like the most and why?

I am a huge fan of the entire series so it becomes difficult to pick and choose any one season. However, the first six seasons are my favourite.

Is there anything about the show that you would like to change?

The show portrays real-life characters which are rarely seen in any show. The characters are very relatable and the audience can connect to them instantly the way I did with Meredith Grey. For the Indian audience it’s all about drawing inspiration and relating to such characters and hence I personally wouldn’t want to change anything on the show.

Grey’s Anatomy airs Monday to Friday at 10pm on STAR World