Lara Dutta who celebrates her birthday on April 16 has slowly evolved in to a fine actress but the 'Housefull' beauty is in complete awe of her co-star akshay Kumar and looks up to him as her role model.

"Akshay is a role model for me, " says Lara, who is extremely excited about 'Housefull'. And why not, comedies have worked wonders for her in the past, mostly the one's that saw her opposite Akshay.

"I have seen Akshay right from the time I came into industry with 'Andaaz'. The film was a great debut for me and I couldn't have asked for more. Over the years, I have seen him grow tremendously as an actor, " Lara told reporters.

Lara, 31, is now looking forward to the Sajid Khan directed entertainer, which is slated for release on April 30, where it is back to old times with the action hero.

In the past, the Lara-Akshay duo has enthralled the audience with their powerhouse performance in films like 'Aan - Men At Work', 'Insan' and 'Dosti - Friends Forever', 'Bhagam Bhag' and 'Blue'.

"One has to see the way Akshay approaches his scenes, whether comic or dramatic. I have always admired his conviction and dedication, " the former Miss Universe said.

"When working on a film, Akshay does so many things to ensure that the final shot that he gives is the best possible.

Over a period of time, he has transformed himself from being just as a hero to a saleable comic actor as well. I have never seen anyone working so hard as Akshay, " she added.

Although in 'Housefull' Lara and Akshay would be once again seen together, she is actually paired opposite Riteish Deshmukh. And Lara seems mighty impressed by the actor's comic timing.

"Riteish is so natural in front of the camera and has an inherent comic timing. With someone like him and Akshay, you have to go with the flow.

It's not just about the written dialogue on a piece of paper. With them, you can pretty much anticipate that something new is definitely going to come your way in the middle of the shot, " said Lara.

Talking about her pairing with Riteish, Lara says, "We wanted it to be more fun and goofy than all moony eyed.

When audience look at Riteish and I, they should feel that they too could be like us. The characters that we play are so adorable and I am glad we have been able to pull that off well for screen."