Actress and former Miss Universe Lara Dutta may be better known for her sexy item numbers in Bollywood, but in real life she prefers to dress with elegance and decorum.

Lara, an ambassador for Indian jewellers D'Damas, looked stunning in a sari as she launched their nature-inspired Origini collection here. Earlier she had worn a salwar kameez to the launch of Neeta Lulla's new store.

"I'm very comfortable with my body and you will find that it is not shown in a cheap manner," said the actress, defending her decision to do item numbers in a spate of films.

While her recent releases such as "Elaan" and "Insaan" have not brought her much acclaim, Lara is excited about her next release, the Bobby Deol-Milind Soman starrer "Jurm".

The Vikram Bhatt thriller is about a business tycoon (Bobby) accused of murdering his wife (Lara), who is defended by his close friend and lawyer (Milind).

Lara believes that "Jurm" will fare much better than her last film with Bobby, "Bardasht".

"I don't regret any of the films that I chose to do. I stand by each film and I would not say that I was not dissatisfied with those films," Lara told IANS.

After so many films, how does Lara rank herself in the industry? "I have not had formal training at a film academy. So most of my performances are intuitive. I put myself in the shoes of the character," she answered diplomatically.

Lara began performing on stage when she was 13. She said, "Even before I won the Miss India contest, I had been approached for a film.

"But at that time I was still in college. I wanted to finish my degree. Later when the opportunity presented itself again, I went for it."

As far as her wardrobe is concerned, Lara said she loves to shop abroad, especially in New York.

"My favourite designers here are Wendell Rodericks and Shahab Durazi. I like clothes that are cut well and made of good fabrics. But my personal dressing is simple and elegant," said the actress.

She revealed that she preserves her stunning figure by dancing every morning for three hours and by doing regular weights and cardio-training.

Lara's next plum project is a Karan Johar production, which she claims will be unlike any of the filmmaker's other films.

"It's not a typical Karan Johar mushy movie. It's a complete thriller," she said.