She knows her "towering personality" can be disconcerting to some of her male co-stars. And she certainly knows how to k keep the wolves at bay in this industry .
In fact, according to insiders, if you mess with Bipasha Basu, you are in serious t trouble. Keeping this in mind, I work hard t to strike a rapport with the Bengali ma'am, when we get talking. So I start with her latest DVD release: Fit and Fabulous. The work out video has the Bollywood stunner sharing some pointers on fitness.
Basu almost takes on a PR tone when she rattles on about the ``importance of loving yourself.'' I listen patiently for about 15 m minutes, before gently diverting the conversation to Ram Leela, her first film with Priyadarshan. Her co-star in the film is Ajay Devgn and she is thrilled about finally being part of a Priyadarshan film.
"He's the fastest director in India, absolutely no-nonsense. It's a realistic film about the status of Bihar and honour killings." Rumours abound that she plays a modern Sita to Ajay's Ram, but Basu dismisses any c connection to the epic. She goes on to update me about her `equation' with update Devgn. "He is a prankster and a cool guy . He brings so much energy to the sets."
Her other big release, Lamhaa, is also m making news. For one, Basu plays Aziza, Kashmiri militant (a first for her). She was Kashmiri also in the news for leaving the Srinagar s shoot, citing security reasons, resulting in a miffed director (Rahul Dholakia). "Too m much was made out of the whole thing.
Yes, my work is my life. But then I've a life beyond work. I'm not going to risk my life unnecessarily for any film. Who comes to hold your hand when you're in pain?'' asks Basu. ``Let's be optimistic. Lamhaa is a difficult and sensible film.
The first seven days were absolute chaos -- nothing was organised and there was a lack of security," she continues. I wonder if there was any vindication in being offered the role of a "fair Kashmiri girl." "I don't think fairness was a prerequisite in this case. My director just needed somebody who could convincingly essay the part," she retorts.
We move on to Basu's long-in-the-making art-house movie, Pankh, where she reportedly plays herself but with a different name. Her styling borrows references from Sophia Loren and Liza Minnelli from Cabaret, thanks to one of her favourite designers, Rocky S. "It's a crazy, imaginary, bizarre and outlandish character who plays this guardian angel to a young boy . It's a very relevant film about this boy who experiences gender confusion. Then he creates this imaginary character, that is me," she explains. True, there is some- thing almost fantastical about Bipasha Basu, not entirely because of her in-your- face sensuousness.
A little bit of everything
I bring up her sudden interest in parallel cinema and her sporadic outings in the Bengali industry -in her latest film, Shob Charitro Kalponik, her character falls in love with her husband after his death.
Have her priorities changed? "Not really .I am intelligent enough to keep a balance between commercial and art-house. I am trying to taste a little bit of everything. As for Bengali films, it's the language I speak at home and I get to do challenging scripts.
It's also one reason why I don't do many south Indian movies," she says.
Basu, despite her pronounced sexy image, has always been on good terms with her male co-stars (from Akshay Kumar to Neil Nitin Mukesh). According to reports, the camaraderie she shared with her Bachna Ae Haseeno co-star, Ranbir Kapoor is still going strong. He apparently calls her up for advice often. "Ranbir is a lovely boy and we are good friends," is all Basu has to say on the subject.
So how does she sail past unwanted male attention? "Yaar, I am short-sighted and I live in my own world. I am not aware of it now, but earlier when I did modelling, I was," she laughs, then takes serious offence to me calling her a "diva." "A diva is a person who throws atti- tude and is cold and unfriendly . I hate it. I am simple and very friendly ," she wails.
I have always balked at her initial line- up of sexy tantric-meets-beach babe- meets-lusty cop movies. So in a way, I applaud her latest resolution to sign only four films a year. "What's the point of fool- ing around with fame or money when you can't enjoy it? I like to do films that I believe in, with great actors and directors and not restricted to any genres. I appreciate direc- tors who respect an actress, who don't just think she is there for kicks," she notes philosophically .
Has she finally exorcised her dance fears, thanks to her Billoo Chamanbahar in Omkara? After all, she has always been terrified of dancing. "I know, for No Entry, the producers chased me for nine months and I excused myself, saying I was fat and untrained. But today, I am glad as I needed to break my inhibitions. I love dancing now."
Demure no longer With Basu, you know you won't get a girly giggle for an answer. Each question is weighed and measured before you get a reply with utter seriousness, some sprin- kled with her trademark humour. For instance, she has a problem with the stereotypical `glamour' in our films, espe- cially when she knows she can deliver so much. "I can look like anything, you know.
It's just that I am not offered too many varied roles," she rues. She singles out the role of the "rich heiress" in Bachna Ae Haseenao as special and tells me about the "whale of a time" she had dancing to Beedi (Omkara) and Lucky Boy (Bachna Ae Haseeno).
A recent poll conducted by a popular film magazine had readers giving the thumbs up to her relationship with John Abraham, for the maximum longevity . I ask Basu to comment. "Jealousy is not part of our relationship, it has weathered all storms.
I have become more thick-skinned and rumours really don't matter anymore. It's great to have a boyfriend who is desired by all," she beams. Her close friend and personal trainer, Deanne Pandey, admits that Bipasha is one actor who actually takes a stand if something untrue is written about her or John. "She calls them (the publication) up and gives them a piece of her mind.
Nobody can mess with her," she says.
Basu admits that the show business is as sleazy as you want it to be. So what works is a clear knowledge of her limitations. "I am not scared to say no. Everyone is born with a destiny; you just have to believe in the choices you make. Hits and flops are part of your life." I refer to her off-screen tussles with fellow heroines. It is said that she couldn't see eye to eye with Mugdha Godse during All the Best.
And then there is the Kareena Kapoor issue, during her Ajnabee days. "See, we are not here to make friends. But the problem is that we heroines are so simple and transparent. In reality it's the men who are more bothered and insecure but they pretend to be all hunky dory and call each other "Oh bro" when they are at daggers in reality . At least I don't pretend."
Before the interview comes to an end, I tell her that I eagerly await her pairing with Shah Rukh Khan in a film, especially after her special appearance in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. "Why don't you tell him? I am dying to work with him," she pouts. Perhaps it's her height that is the problem, I add helpfully?
"Come on yaar, Deepika (Padukone) is two inches taller than me. Even Sushmita (Sen).
Maybe I have a more towering personality that the rest," she laughs out loud. Now, that is something to chew on.
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