Bipasha Basu | |
|---|---|
 Basu at an event in 2020 | |
| Born | (1979-01-07)7 January 1979 (age 46) New Delhi, India |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1996–2020 |
| Works | Full list |
| Spouse | [1] |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | Full list |
Bipasha Basu (born 7 January 1979) is an Indian actress. Primarily known for her work inHindi films, shehas received aFilmfare Award. In the 2000s and 2010s, she was known for her work in the thriller and horror genres and for severalitem numbers, and was frequently cited in the media as asex symbol and ascream queen.
Born inDelhi and raised inKolkata, Basu pursued a successful career as a fashion model. She then began receiving offers for film roles, and made her acting debut with the thrillerAjnabee (2001), which won her theFilmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Basu's first leading role was in the horror filmRaaz (2002), for which she earned a nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Actress. Her career progressed with a leading role in the erotic thrillerJism (2003) and in two consecutive annual top-grossing films,No Entry (2005) andDhoom 2 (2006).
Basu's other commercially successful films include the dramaCorporate (2006), the comediesPhir Hera Pheri (2006) andAll the Best: Fun Begins(2009), the thrillerRace (2008), and the romantic comedyBachna Ae Haseeno (2008). In the 2010s, she starred in the horror filmsRaaz 3D (2012),Aatma (2013),Creature 3D (2014) andAlone (2015). This was followed by a hiatus during which her sole appearance was in the thriller seriesDangerous (2020).
In addition to acting in films, Basu is a fitness enthusiast who has featured in several fitness videos. She hosted the horror seriesDarr Sabko Lagta Hai in 2015. Following a high-profile relationship with actorJohn Abraham, Basu married actorKaran Singh Grover in 2016, with whom she has one child.
Bipasha Basu was born on 7 January 1979[2][3] to aBengali family.[4] Her father, Hirak, is acivil engineer, and her mother, Mamta, is a homemaker.[5] She has one elder sister, Bidisha, and one younger sister, Vijayeta.[5][6] According to Basu, her name means "deep, dark, desire".[7]
In Delhi, Basu lived atPamposh Enclave,Nehru Place until age eight and studied at Apeejay High School.[8] Her family then moved toKolkata, where she attendedBhavan's Gangabux Kanoria Vidyamandir inBidhannagar.[9] In her school, Basu was appointed as thehead girl and was fondly called 'LadyGoonda' due to her short and commanding personality.[10]
In 1996, Basu was spotted at a hotel in Kolkata by the modelMehr Jesia Rampal, who suggested she take up modelling.[11] That year, she participated in and eventually won the Godrej Cinthol Supermodel Contest (organised byFord), thereby representing India atFord Models Supermodel of the World contest inMiami.[12][13] She later appeared in a Calida commercial with her then-boyfriendDino Morea, which was controversial for picturing them in a sultry context; she had protesters outside her house as a result.[12] With appearances on several magazine covers, Basu continued to pursue a career in fashion modeling during her late teens, until she became an actress.[13]
One of the judges of the Godrej Cinthol Supermodel Contest in which Basu participated,Vinod Khanna, wanted to cast her alongside his sonAkshaye Khanna in the romanceHimalay Putra (1997). Basu felt she was too young and declined the role, which eventually went toAnjala Zaveri. After returning home, she was convinced byJaya Bachchan to star opposite her sonAbhishek Bachchan inJ. P. Dutta'sAakhari Mughal.[14] However, the film was cancelled, and Dutta instead changed the script and made the romantic dramaRefugee withKareena Kapoor.[15] Basu was also offered a role inRefugee oppositeSunil Shetty, which she declined.[11]
She finally made her acting debut in a negative role oppositeAkshay Kumar inAbbas–Mustan's action thrillerAjnabee (2001) which also starred Kapoor andBobby Deol. The film was inspired by theAmerican filmConsenting Adults (1992).[16]Ajnabee received mixed reviews from critics upon release, with particular praise for Basu's performance, and it emerged as a moderate commercial success at the box-office.[17][18] Her performance in the film also earned her theFilmfare Award for Best Female Debut.[11]
Basu achieved her breakthrough withVikram Bhatt's supernatural horror thrillerRaaz (2002), which was the first instalment of theRaaz film series.[19] Based on theHollywood filmWhat Lies Beneath (2000), it also starredDino Morea and debutanteMalini Sharma. Portraying a woman in a failing marriage who discovers that her husband is part of a ghostly conspiracy haunting their new home, the film earned Basu widespread critical acclaim and established her in the Hindi film industry. One review inThe Tribune noted, "...it is Basu who steals the show with her impactful performance."[20] The film also emerged as a major commercial success at the box office, ranking as thethird highest-grossing Hindi film of the year.[21]Raaz earned Basu her first nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Actress.[22]
She next starred inSanjay Gadhvi's romantic comedyMere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai (2002) alongsideUday Chopra,Jimmy Sheirgill and debutanteTulip Joshi. It opened to mixed reviews from critics upon release, with praise for Basu's performance, and emerged as a moderate commercial success at the box office.[23] Her next film that year,David Dhawan's action comedyChor Machaaye Shor alongside Deol, emerged as her first critical and commercial failure.[24] The same year, she made herTelugu film debut with a supporting role in therevisionist western filmTakkari Donga oppositeMahesh Babu andLisa Ray.[25] Her next film, the thrillerGunaah, again opposite Morea, also emerged as a critical and commercial failure.[19] Her portrayal of a cop who loves a convict and tries to reform him earned her scathing reviews from critics, with Derek Elley ofVariety stating that Basu was miscast as the "idealistic cop".[26]
In 2003, Basu starred inPooja Bhatt's erotic thrillerJism alongside debutantJohn Abraham, in which she portrayed the seductive, ambitious wife of a millionaire, who indulges in an extramarital affair with an alcoholic lawyer and plots to kill her husband. She and Abraham began a nine year long relationship while shooting for the film. It received mixed reviews upon release, but Basu earned praise for her portrayal of afemme fatale, withTaran Adarsh ofBollywood Hungama commenting, "...the real show stealer is Basu; her sexy look and seductive deep voice, in contrast with her cold and calculating personality, makes her the most impressivefemme fatale sinceZeenat Aman andParveen Babi."[27] The film emerged as asleeper hit at the box-office, with several trade analysts attributing its commercial success to Basu's popularity.[28][29]Jism ranked at 92 in a poll conducted byChannel 4 the top 100 sexiest movie scenes.[30] Basu's performance in the film earned her a nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Villain. However her next release,Rohit Shetty's directorial debutZameen alongsideAjay Devgn andAbhishek Bachchan, emerged as a critical and commercial failure.[28][31]
Basu had five releases in 2004, all of which received scathing critical reviews and emerged as commercial disasters at the box office. She began the year with the musical romanceIshq Hai Tumse in her third collaboration with Morea. She then collaborated for the second time with Vikram Bhatt in her next release, the psychological romantic thrillerAetbaar. She played the role of a young woman who falls in love with a psychopath.Rediff.com noted that "... The characters are not convincing, the plot is not fast-paced or interesting."[32] Her next film wasMani Shankar's fantasy science fiction filmRudraksh, based on the Indian epicRamayana.[33] She then starred in the supernatural horror filmRakht as atarot card reader trying to solve a murder mystery. Shruti Bhasin ofPlanetBollywood wrote, "Basu impresses in a different look and role."[34] Her final release that year wasAnil Sharma's psychological thrillerMadhoshi opposite Abraham.[35] Her performance of a mentally unstable woman was generally well received.[36]
In 2005, she appeared in the thrillerChehraa alongside Morea, which was a critical and commercial failure. This was followed by the musical love triangleBarsaat alongside Deol andPriyanka Chopra, which also received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics. Taran Adarsh commented, "As an actor, she [Basu] does show sparks only towards the end."[37] It also emerged as a commercial failure at the box office.[38] She next starred in the Tamil romantic comedySachein, alongsideVijay andGenelia D'Souza, which proved to be a box office hit. She then appeared inPrakash Jha's crime action filmApaharan, alongside Devgn andNana Patekar, which was a critical and commercial success.[39][40] During this period, she refused to act inart films due to salary problems.[41]
Besides acting, Basu did the video "Tu" forSonu Nigam's album,Kismat. She made a guest appearance inJay Sean's music video "Stolen".[42]
Basu established herself as a leading actress of Hindi cinema in 2005 and 2006 with the progressive success of the comedyNo Entry, the dramaCorporate and the action thrillerDhoom 2.[43]No Entry grossed₹750 million (US$8.6 million) at the box office, ranking as thehighest-grossing Hindi film of the year.[44] Basu portrayed abargirl who acts as the wife of two men. The film received positive reviews, and she earned her first nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the film. 2006 saw her star in four major releases —Phir Hera Pheri,Corporate,Omkara, andDhoom 2 — all of which performed well critically and commercially.[45][46]Phir Hera Pheri saw her star alongsideAkshay Kumar to portray a con woman who steals ₹10 million from the protagonists. The film received mixed-to-positive reviews and emerged as a commercial success, ranking as theeighth highest-grossing Hindi film of the year.[47] InMadhur Bhandarkar'sCorporate, she gave up her glamorous look to portray a businesswoman who has no qualms in taking advantage of her sexuality to con the CEO of a rival company. Her performance in the film earned her critical acclaim, as well as her second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.[48] However, it was only an average grosser at the box-office.[49]
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InVishal Bhardwaj's adaptation ofOthello,Omkara, Basu played the role of Billo Chamanbahar (Bianca), alongside anensemble cast of Devgn,Kareena Kapoor,Saif Ali Khan,Konkona Sen Sharma andVivek Oberoi. She caught the attention of the public with her dance number "Beedi", which was highly popular in India and overseas.[50] Moreover, her performance also earned positive reviews, with criticRajeev Masand ofCNN-IBN writing, "...Basu is brought in to lend oomph and she highly succeeds in doing that."[51] She followed this withDhoom 2, where she again starred alongside an ensemble cast ofHrithik Roshan, Bachchan,Aishwarya Rai andUday Chopra. She played thedual role of a cop and anNRI. She became the talk of the town for donning a bikini in the film; to prepare for this scene she reportedly ate only oranges for three days and trained hard.[52] The film, and Basu's performance, received positive reviews from critics upon release, withNikhat Kazmi ofThe Times of India commenting, "Aah Bipasha! Looks great, brings back the bikini to Bollywood, and acts well, thus doing more than just slipping into the shadows like a pretty accessory."[53]Dhoom 2 emerged as a major blockbuster at the box office, grossing₹1,513.89 million (US$17 million) worldwide, ranking as the highest-grossing Hindi film of the year and thehighest-grossing Hindi film of all time at the time.[54] As of 2024, it ranks as the highest grosser of Basu's career.[55]
In 2007, her only appearance was inVivek Agnihotri's sports dramaDhan Dhana Dhan Goal. The film saw her perform alongside frequent co-star John Abraham as the physiotherapist of a football team. Despite hype prior to release, it opened to mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, and was a commercial failure at the box office.[56] Her dance number "Billo Rani" became quite popular and earned her the nickname "Billo Rani", though equal credit is due toOmkara in which her name was Billo Chamanbahar.[57]
In 2008, she teamed up again with Abbas–Mustan for the crime thrillerRace. She played the role of Sonia, who is stuck in a love triangle between two brothers (played by Saif Ali Khan andAkshaye Khanna) and who ends up murdering one of them. The film was a commercial success at the box office, grossing₹680 million (US$7.8 million) worldwide, ranking as thefifth highest-grossing Hindi film of the year.[58] Her performance, like the film, was appreciated by critics with Taran Adarsh citing it as "her best work so far. She's superb!"[59]
Basu next starred alongsideRanbir Kapoor,Deepika Padukone andMinissha Lamba inSiddharth Anand's romantic comedyBachna Ae Haseeno as a successful supermodel who finds it hard to forgive her ex-lover for betraying her. The film received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics upon release, with widespread praise for Basu's performance. It emerged as a commercial success at the box office, ranking as theeighth highest-grossing Hindi film of the year.[60] Her performance in the film earned her a second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She completed 2008 with a special appearance in the song "Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte" oppositeShah Rukh Khan inAditya Chopra's romantic comedyRab Ne Bana Di Jodi.[61]
Her first release in 2009, the science fiction thrillerAa Dekhen Zara oppositeNeil Nitin Mukesh, received mixed reviews from critics upon release, and emerged as a commercial failure at the box office.[62] However, her next film, Rohit Shetty's comedyAll the Best: Fun Begins performed moderately well, with her comic role being appreciated by fans.[63][64] Later that year, Basu took up an unglamorous and challenging role inRituparno Ghosh's Bengali film,Shob Charitro Kalponik. "I love saris and I'm wearing a lot of them in Ritu's film," she said.[65] The film, and her performance, received high praise from critics upon release. CriticSubhash K. Jha spoke high of her, and said, "Basu pulls out all stops to deliver her career best performance. Her moments of anguish before and after her screen-husband's death are expressed in tones of cathartic conviction that we never knew existed within Basu." He also compared her with the multiple-award-winning actress,Shabana Azmi, commenting that Basu's anguished portrayal of bereavement could only be equalled by Azmi.[66]
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With Sudipto Chattopadhyaya'sPankh, Basu returned as an imaginary character who exists in the protagonist's mind.[citation needed] She was then featured as aKashmiri girl alongsideSanjay Dutt,Anupam Kher andKunal Kapoor inRahul Dholakia's drama thrillerLamhaa, which explored socio-political problems in Kashmir.[67] Principal photography ofLamhaa was disrupted many times by the locals due to its controversial theme.[68] During the shooting ofLamhaa, she left the sets atAnantnag and headed back toMumbai, citing she was afraid of the crowd there. Producer Bunty Walia considered replacing her withVidya Balan, but she returned for the shoot later with necessary security arrangements.[69][70]Lamhaa opened to mixed reviews from critics upon release, but Basu's performance received praise.NDTV Movies wrote, "Basu sinks herself into her character imparting a dramatic resonance into the role without resorting to stock expressions. The sequence where she gets mauled by militant women is as traumatic to watch as it must have been for Basu to shoot."[71]
Basu's next appearance that year was inPriyadarshan's action thrillerAakrosh as the wife of a ruthless cop who helps the police investigating honor killings in their village.Nikhat Kazmi ofThe Times of India commented, "Basu actually doesn't have much to do and does seem to be miscast as the much-abused, bruised and battered wife ofParesh Rawal".[72] BothLamhaa andAakrosh were commercial failures at the box office.[73][74]
Basu's only release in 2011 was the action thrillerDum Maaro Dum, alongsideAbhishek Bachchan andRana Daggubati, which performed reasonably well at the box office and met with mixed-to-positive reviews from critics.[75][76] Talking of the film, she said, "My next release isDum Maaro Dum, in which I play a lively, colourful, happy-go-lucky girl called Zoey, who is the representation of Goa as we see it."[77]
In 2012, Basu collaborated withAbbas–Mustan for the third time in the heist action thrillerPlayers, which became the first Hindi film release of 2012.[78] The film was an official remake ofThe Italian Job.[79] Majorly hyped prior to release,Players was a commercial disaster at the box office, and was negatively compared toThe Italian Job and highly criticised for its execution and performances, including that of Basu.[80][81] Her next release was the supernatural horror thrillerRaaz 3: The Third Dimension directed byVikram Bhatt. Co-starringEmraan Hashmi andEsha Gupta, the film proved a major commercial success at the box office, grossing₹1.01 billion (US$12 million) worldwide. It emerged as the highest-grossing Hindi horror film of all time, in addition to becoming Basu's first commercial success after a period of relatively poor reception. The film opened to mixed-to-positive reviews upon release, with high praise for Basu's performance.Subhash K. Jha of IANS said, "It's Basu who holds together the feverish proceedings. She delivers a full-bodied gutsy performance."[82][83]
After a guest appearance inRace 2 (2013) where she reprised her role from the prequel,[84][85] Basu starred alongsideNawazuddin Siddiqui in the horror filmAatma directed by Suparn Verma. The film, and Basu's performance, received mixed reviews from critics upon release,Filmfare stated This is one of Bipasha’s better performances. She emotes well even in the really tough scenes where she is being abused.[86][87][88] Basu next performed live alongsideAtif Aslam,Shaan andMalaika Arora for the first time in a series of concerts inBirmingham andLondon[89] in the summer of 2013.[90]
In 2014, Basu appeared in two films of diametrically opposite genres – the first wasSajid Khan's comedyHumshakals oppositeSaif Ali Khan. The film was a critical and commercial disaster, and is consideredone of the worst Bollywood films ever made. Basu didn't even participate in the film's promotions because she was "extremely disturbed by the result" and stated, "Humshakals was the worst experience of my life".[91][92][93] The second wasVikram Bhatt's monster horror filmCreature 3D alongside debutantImran Abbas. This film was another critical and commercial failure.[94] The same year, Basu finished shooting for her first English film project,Roland Joffé's Belgianromancetime traveladventureThe Lovers, in which she portrayed aMaratha warrior. The film, and Basu's performance, received mixed reviews from critics upon release.[95][96]
In 2015, Basu featured inBhushan Patel's romance horror filmAlone opposite her future husbandKaran Singh Grover.[97] The film performed moderately well at the box office, and received mixed reviews from critics upon release, with praise for Basu'sdual role.[98]India TV reviewed the film and wrote that, "With some genuine scary moments and Basu-Grover's scorching chemistry,Alone stands apart from numerous horrible horror flicks made in the past," and also stated, "Basu just takes her act to another level."[99] The same year, she made her TV debut by hosting&TV's anthology horror fiction seriesDarr Sabko Lagta Hai.
Her next role was a cameo appearance as herself in the 2018 comedyWelcome to New York.
In 2020, she made herOTT debut withMX Player's crime thriller seriesDangerous opposite her husband Grover. It received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics upon release.[100]
One of the most popular actresses of 2000's inHindi cinema, Basu is frequently cited in the media as asex symbol.[101] On theTimes 50 Most Desirable Women list, she ranked 8th in 2011, 13th in 2012, and 7th in 2013.[102][103]Eastern Eye named her the "Sexiest Woman in Asia" in 2005 and 2007.[104] In 2009, she topped theMaxim's "Hot 100" list.[105] Basu placed 6th inRediff.com's 2006 "Top Bollywood Actresses" list.[106] She appeared inForbes India's 2012Celebrity 100 list, where she placed 25th with an estimated annual income of₹268.5 million (US$3.1 million).[107] Basu is a celebrity endorser for brands includingDabur,Pantene,Emami andAlkermes.[108][109] In the media, she is known by a variety of nicknames which play on her given name, including Bonnie, Bips, Bip, B, BB, and Bona.[110]
Aside from films, Basu is an advocate of physical fitness. In 2005 she released her first fitness DVD jointly withJohn Abraham, titledBollywood Bodies.[111] In 2010 she released her first solo fitness DVD calledLove Yourself: Fit & Fabulous You, which emphasised being strong, healthy, and loving oneself.[112] The DVD consisted of a 60-day routine for weight loss, including a beginner's workout, an advanced workout and an "easy tone" workout. She was also the brand ambassador of Sugar Free, which helped her in promoting the DVD.[citation needed] Hiren Gada, director ofShemaroo Entertainment, said, "A celebrity like Basu, genuinely believes in staying healthy. She is also passionate about fitness."[113]
In September 2011, Basu launched her second fitness DVD titledBreak Free, a 30-minute dance routine, and the follow-up to Basu's first workout video, continuing theLove Yourself series.[114][115] In January 2014, Basu launched the third instalment of herLove Yourself DVD fitness series,Unleash, an advanced training routine including plyometrics and focusing more on power and speed, while strengthening the bones and improving muscle coordination.[citation needed] Later in 2014, many of her fitness workout videos were released for free on distributor Shemaroo Entertainment's health-focussedYouTube channel, Shemaroo Good Health 24/7.
She is the face of Delhi Marathon, which has been inspired by her interest in fitness.[114]
In 2015, Basu,Malaika Arora, andSussanne Khan launched their own shopping portal "The Label Life". Basu's section of the portal included makeup, statement jewels, shoes and bags.[116][117]
Basu was in a relationship with actorDino Morea[118] from 1996 to 2002. During the filming ofJism in 2002, Basu began dating her co-starJohn Abraham, and they maintained a very high-profile relationship from 2002 to 2011.[119] She briefly datedHarman Baweja, but they broke up in 2014.[120][121]
Basu met co-starKaran Singh Grover on the set ofAlone in 2014 and they fell in love. The couple were married on 30 April 2016.[122] In August 2022. Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Devi Basu Singh Grover, on November 12, 2022. Devi was born with two holes in her heart and underwent surgery when she was three months old.[123]
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