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Beyond Sex
She has no pretense, no airs, and no starry attitude! Like a breath of fresh air, the dusky beauty Bipasha Basu has taken over the reins of Hindi film industry. She has achieved a lot in merely three years of stepping into Bollywood. With grit and determination to do different kinds of movies, no matter how high the risk, Bipasha has proved that sensual and sex can co-exist on screen. Bipasha welcomes brickbats and bouquets for both, her skin show as well as her performances, with equal vigour. With an envious figure, dusky good looks and talent to match, Bipasha Basu is currently the hot favourite among Bollywood filmmakers. We met the actress for a deeper insight into her career, her career moves and life on the personal front.
Tell us more about Rakth. Aren't you playing a tarot card reader?
Rakht is a thriller. It deals with the supernatural. Though Rakht is a multistarrer with actors like-Sanjay Dutt, Suneil Shetty, Dino Morea, Neha Dhupia and Amrita Arora, each and everyone is equally important. Plays an equally important part. It is a character-driven story and Mahesh (Manjrekar) has done a fabulous job directing it. The character I play is very intense because she is gifted with the power of visions and how they affect her. That's the main plot of Rakth. I haven't learnt reading Tarot cards in orders to prepare for the role for the emphasis is more on visions than on Tarot cards. The visions haunt her since childhood. We worked on the look of the character to make it exotic. I have coloured my hair black, maintained a fringe, kept it long. We have managed to create an eerie mysterious look for the character, dressing her up with long skirts and frilly blouses.
You also play a mother in the film. Won't that hamper your sexy image?
My character is the mother of an eight-year-old child and that doesn't make her old. She is a young woman who can look great. She hasn't given up on life and lives it to the fullest. So being a mother doesn't mean one can't be sexy (smiles).
Rudraksh was the other film revolving around the supernatural. Are there any similarities between Rakth and Rudraksh.
No.Rakht is a fantastic film and it really grips you. Rudraksh turned into a hotchpotch. I don't know what went wrong with it.
How superstitious are you?
Not very! There are a few superstitions I have been brought up with. Like a black cat crossing the road. I stop my car and my friends laugh at me. It's just harmless belief and there's no particular reason why I am holding on to it. As long as it doesn't harm anyone, it's fine. As Indians we all have a tendency to believe in the supernatural.
Beside, we are a major superstitious lot. I do believe in ghosts but not in tantriks. Rakth doesn't indule in black magic. It's very mystic and simple. There's nothing gawky in the film.
How was the experience working with John (Abraham) once again in Mumkin?
Great! The film is about a girl tom between two people. She is engaged to Priyanshu but seems to be attracted to John. I jumped at the opportunity because this meaty, difficult role appealed to the actress in me. I play the girl-next door. It wasn't too hard to play and I managed it well. The problem is that mormally you get to play these cuddly, innocent girl types of roles right at the start of your career for filmmakers want to play it safe. They give you goody-goody roles. Now, after playing roles with shades of grey and black apienty in my previous films, like Ajnabee and Aetbar I felt that I was kind of playing down my act. After a while, I realized that being a professional actress, I just can't stick to always doing a certain kind of role. I should go in for diverse roles and should enjoy playing a simple girl once in a while. Mumkin was one of them and as expected, was quite an interesting experience.
You seem to have an urge for complex roles.
(Laughs) I don't search for such roles deliberately. They just happen to come my way. I'm luckey that since my debut film, I've been getting diverse roles. Then I guess my unconventional looks too play a part. People say it's an advantage because I get to play central roles even in this hero-centric industry. I strongly feel the outlook of the industry has to change and it has to become heroine-centric. But don't get me wrong, this does mot mean that I am not in favour of playing second fiddle to the men. At times you just have to accept things. Yet, I'd really love to do roles that are different because I get bored while handling a predictable character.
How tough is it being a sex-symbol?
Not tough at all! And basically I don't mind being tagged a sex-symbol because sex ultimately sells. Besides, that tag has worked well for me as I keep getting diverse, excting roles instead of the same boring routine stuff. Of course, I do have my individual style and image. But at the end of the day, why should I mind being called a sex symbol? I think a certain amount of sex appeal is important. We live in a world where people come together because they find something sexy in the other person. If a person is devoid of sex appeal then that person 'does' nothing for me. Moreover, I'm in an industry where people are supposed to either make heads turn or turn their own heads at the others who walk by. Or else why would we be entertainers? At times there are comments like, "She can't do anything" or "She's just a sex symbol." But I'm ok with certain people's bias. I know I have played a variety of roles and my audience knows it too, so it's cool. I am happy with the films that are coming my way. I'd not want to change it.
Does this sex smybol tag come in the way of filmmakers considering you for serious roles?
Frankly, like I said, I don't mind being called a sex symbol. But if you see Raaz where I wore polonecks and Gunaah where I played a cop, you'll definitely agree that I can do something other than sexy stuff too. In India, it is believed that a sexy heroine cannot do justice to an arty role. That's a myth. Thankfully, the scenario is changing, though I would like that to happen at a faster rate. Put me in a saree, I'll look truly Indian. Put me in a Western outfit, I won't disappoint you.
After Jism, a trend of bold sexy films seems to have started taking Bollywood to films like Murder and Girlfriend.
I don't think it's fair to club Jism into the same bracket as Murder or Girlfriend. Jism was a film with lots of class. It was different no doubt and daring too. I wouldn't call Jism a sexy film. Just a sensuous one! Jism was about the sexual attractiom between two people. It was done very aesthetically. People say Jism has shock value yet it wasn't crass at any point. Today, if people are trying to follow the same pattern they won't be able to repeat the aesthetic value of Jism. People are making films on sex and if they are working it's because there hasn't been such an open market for such films earlier. It was a taboo topic but today it's out in the open. This tred can't work if you don't have a good script and characters that Jism had. Putting together a few sex scenes won't make films run for long.
What does success mean to you?
Perception of life doesn't change if you are successful. It definitely adds more confidence to your walk and talk. That's all. It helps projecting yourself in public and expressing yourself on screen. You don't change as a person. Even if a film doesn't do well I never feel bad. That's because right from the beginning I have made a promise to myself never to have any expectations in life. If you don't have expectations and have a hit, you feel wonderful. But if you expect a hit and are faced with a flop, you are devastated.
Every few months the stories around John and you keep coming up...
I know. And as much as it irritates me, I don't mind them either. I am not getting married to John next month, as the rumours go, that's for sure. Nor are we breaking up. But I wont talk more, for I have learnt to keep a lid on my personal life. No more quotes on the private side of my life. you want to know Bipasha, see her films.
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