Bipasha Basu wants creative satisfaction

Hiren Kotwani
Mumbai, January 25, 2007


India's numero uno sex symbol.. unless you’re even thinking of a certain Mallika Sherawat.. has been taking on complex roles and jhatak jigs.

A mystery cloaks her on-and-off relationship with John Abraham. But she insists that it’s all hunky dory. Is it? Bipasha Basu interviewed by Hiren Kotwani

Unlike most of her peers, she relates to the media as living and breathing creatures rather than as a species to be distrusted. Perhaps her easygoing equation with the press has to do with the fact that during her struggling days in Mumbai, it was the owner of a magazine chain, who gave her digs to stay in..and promoted her till she hit boom time with Jism.

She’s 28, has done 29 films in six years and is now flying off to South Africa and then to London for an extensive shooting spell for Race (Anil Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna, Saif Ali Khan) and then Goal (co-featuring John Abraham).

The second of three sisters (the others are Bidisha and Bijoyeta), Bipasha lives up to the name her parents gave her – it means “deep dark desire.”


Bipasha Basu will next be seen in the film Race.
When I catch up with her, BB is talking family. Her younger sister Bijoyeta has relocated herself from Bangalore to Mumbai. Ditto their dad “after shuttling all over the country.”

Pleased that her penthouse apartment at Khar will be crawling with her near and dear ones, she states that it isn’t impossible for a single career woman to feel secure in the city.. but yeah, there’s nothing like being surrounded by the family.


This goes well, Bipasha theorises, with her current state of mind. Which is? In that husky voice, she intones, “See, have I ever given the impression that
I’m greedy and ambitious. At the end of the day, I’ve to be grateful for tender mercies. Whatever I’ve achieved is by playing it straight and professionally with the film industry. More than money now, it’s creative satisfaction that counts.”

She said it. But after a point of time, doesn’t every actress go through this phase? “Sure,” she responds coolly.” But other artistes.. male or female.. also
capitalize on their hits.. jack up their rates and behave la-di-dah. Have I done that?”

She’s referring to the pro-Bipasha buzz following the attention she has grabbed for Corporate, Omkara and Dhoom 2 . Knock, knock, but some do think that Aishwarya Rai’s hot new look stole the thunder from her bikini act in Dhoom 2 .

Without batting an eyelid, Bipasha responds, “Why must you pitch one artiste against another? Ash looked stunning.. as for myself, I’ll just say that I received tremendous feedback for my double role.. it was cute and funny.”

Vis-à-vis Beedi jalaayile, she remarks, “That was quite a realistic number.. and it’s not easy for me to look, act and dance real. The lyrics, the music, the choreography have all contributed to its appeal.”

She’s being modesty personified, yup. To see how she reacts to some barbed questions, I ask why she gave the much-adored Ram Gopal Varma a ditch for Darling (to be replaced by Ishaa Koppikar).

Again cooler than a cucumber, she answers, “There’s no question about ditching Ramu. I just felt the role was quite similar to the one I’d done in Raaz . I was supposed to play he wife of a man who is visited by ghosts. Ramu said it wasn’t the same but finally said, it was okay if I didn’t do it because I had my reservations.”

On Rituparno Ghosh’s Draupadi, Bipasha says she has agreed to do the role in principle. As for the sequel to Raaz , she askswith concern, “I don’t know
about Raaz 2 at all. Is someone making it? I haven’t been contacted by anyone.”

Expecting her to chase me out with a broom, I’ve left the John Abraham question for the last. Aren’t they pretending to be together because that ruse is part of a lucrative endorsement deal?

Unfazed, she looks me straight in the eye and says, “Look that’s ridiculous. Neither of us would stoop to that level just for the sake of an endorsement. I’ve just stopped reacting to rumours about us because it’s an insult to my vintelligence. When we plan to get married,we won’t hide it. Please let us be. We’re both doing well,may be that’s what bugs some people. Today the audience is looking at John’s acting talent and not just his body.”

Is that true of her as well. “Ha!” she laughs. “I know I’ve walked into a trap. That’s not for me to say.. it’s up to the audience and the critics, isn’t it?”