Bipasha Basu (Bengali pronunciation:[bipaʃaboʃu]; born 7 January 1979) is an Indian former actress. Primarily known for her work inHindi films, shehas received aFilmfare Award. One of the leading faces in the 2000s and early 2010s, she is known for her work in the thriller and horror genres and for severalitem numbers and is frequently cited in the media as asex symbol and ascream queen of her times.
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[2] (2001), which won her theFilmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Basu's first leading role was in the horror filmRaaz[3](2002), for which she earned a nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Actress.[4] 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 high-profile relationship with actor and modelDino Morea andJohn Abraham, Basu married actorKaran Singh Grover in 2016, with whom she has one daughter.
Early life
Bipasha Basu was born on 7 January 1979[5][6] to aBengali family.[7] Her father, Hirak, is acivil engineer, and her mother, Mamta, is a homemaker.[8] She has one elder sister, Bidisha, and one younger sister, Vijayeta.[8][9] According to Basu, her name means "deep, dark, desire".[10]
In 1996, Basu was spotted at a hotel in Kolkata by the modelMehr Jesia Rampal, who suggested she take up modelling.[14] 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.[15][16] ActorVinod Khanna, who was one of the judges in the contest, 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. 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.[15]
With appearances on several magazine covers, Basu continued to pursue a career in fashion modeling during her late teens.[16] At some point, Basu was approached to star oppositeAbhishek Bachchan inJ. P. Dutta'sAakhari Mughal, which was supposed to be Bachchan's launch film.[17] However, the film was cancelled, and Dutta instead made the romantic dramaRefugee withKareena Kapoor.[18] Basu was offered a role oppositeSunil Shetty inRefugee, which she declined.[14]
In 1999, Basu featured in an advertisement withVivek Oberoi, that was banned from broadcast on Indian television due to scenes that were considered 'bold' at the time, but the ad found its way on social media several years later.[19]
Following her transition into acting, Basu continued to appear occasionally in fashion shows and modeling assignments. In 2013, she walked the ramp at theLakmé Fashion Week Summer-Resort for designers Shantanu & Nikhil. Reflecting on the experience, Basu remarked that returning to the runway reminded her of her early modeling days and noted that "modeling is a tough life."[20]
Debut, breakthrough and rise to prominence (2001–2005)
Basu 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).[21]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.[22][23] Her performance in the film also earned her theFilmfare Award for Best Female Debut.[14]
Basu with herRaaz co-star and then partnerDino Morea in 2002
Basu achieved her breakthrough withVikram Bhatt's supernatural horror thrillerRaaz (2002), which was the first instalment of theRaaz film series.[24] 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."[25] The film also emerged as a major commercial success at the box office, ranking as thethird highest-grossing Hindi film of the year.[26]Raaz earned Basu her first nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Actress.[27] 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.[28] Her next film that year,David Dhawan's action comedyChor Machaaye Shor alongside Deol, emerged as her first critical and commercial failure.[29] The same year, she made herTelugu film debut with a supporting role in therevisionist western filmTakkari Donga oppositeMahesh Babu andLisa Ray.[30] Her next film, the thrillerGunaah, again opposite Morea, also emerged as a critical and commercial failure.[24] 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".[31]
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."[32] The film emerged as asleeper hit at the box-office, with several trade analysts attributing its commercial success to Basu's popularity.[33][34]Jism ranked at 92 in a poll conducted byChannel 4 the top 100 sexiest movie scenes.[35] 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.[33][36]
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 withVikram 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."[37] Her next film wasMani Shankar's fantasy science fiction filmRudraksh, based on the Indian epicRamayana.[38] 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."[39] Her final release that year wasAnil Sharma's psychological thrillerMadhoshi opposite Abraham.[40] Her performance of a mentally unstable woman was generally well received.[41]
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."[42] It also emerged as a commercial failure at the box office.[43] She next starred in the Tamil romantic comedySachein, alongsideVijay andGenelia D'Souza, which proved to be a box office hit. She then appeared inAnees Bazmee's comedyNo Entry which grossed₹750 million (US$8.9 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. Her last release of the year wasPrakash Jha's crime action filmApaharan, alongside Devgn andNana Patekar, which was a critical and commercial success.[45][46] During this period, she refused to act inart films due to salary problems.[47]
Commercial success and established actress (2006–2009)
Basu established herself as a leading actress of Hindi cinema in 2006.[48] The year saw her star in four major releases — the comedyPhir Hera Pheri, the comedy dramaCorporate, thecrime dramaOmkara and the action thrillerDhoom 2 — all of which performed well critically and commercially.[49][50]
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.[51] 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.[52] However, it was only an average grosser at the box-office.[53]
Basu's last year of 2006 wasDhoom 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.[56] 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."[57]Dhoom 2 emerged as a major blockbuster at the box office, grossing₹1,513.89 million (US$18 million) worldwide, ranking as the highest-grossing Hindi film of the year and thehighest-grossing Hindi film of all time at the time.[58] As of 2024, it ranks as the highest grosser of Basu's career.[59]
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.[60] 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.[61]
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$8.0 million) worldwide, ranking as thefifth highest-grossing Hindi film of the year.[62] Her performance, like the film, was appreciated by critics with Taran Adarsh citing it as "her best work so far. She's superb!"[63]
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.[66] However, her next film, Rohit Shetty's comedyAll the Best: Fun Begins performed moderately well, with her comic role being appreciated by fans.[67][68]
Basu later appeared in 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.[69] The film, and her performance, received high praise from critics upon release. Critic Subhash 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.[70]
Basu's first release in 2010 was Sudipto Chattopadhyaya'sPankh, where she apperared as an imaginary character who exists in the protagonist's mind.[71] 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.[72] Principal photography ofLamhaa was disrupted many times by the locals due to its controversial theme.[73] 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.[74][75]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."[76]
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".[77] BothLamhaa andAakrosh were commercial failures at the box office.[78][79]
Basu's next release was the 2011 action thrillerDum Maaro Dum, alongsideAbhishek Bachchan andRana Daggubati. 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."[80] The film performed reasonably well at the box office and met with mixed-to-positive reviews from critics.[81][82]
Basu then finished shooting for her first English film project,Roland Joffé's Belgianromancetime traveladventureSingularity in which she portrayed aMaratha warrior.[83] The film then went through several delays and release struggles for nearly two years.
In 2012, Basu collaborated withAbbas–Mustan for the third time in the heist action thrillerPlayers, which became the first Hindi film release of 2012.[84] The film was an official remake ofThe Italian Job.[85] 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.[86][87]
Basu's next release of the year 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 and became 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."[88][89]
In 2013, Basu first appeared in a guest appearance inRace 2, a direct sequel ofRace (2008), where she reprised her role of Sonia Martin from the first film, in a flashback scene.[90][91] She then 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."[92][93] Another reviewer fromIndia TV news noted that "Bipasha Basu as a frightening mother is decent" and remarked that her performance inRaaz 3D was stronger.[94]NDTV praised Basu's deep role, but also commented that they felt the film wasn't particularly frightening.[95]
The same year, Basu's English filmSingularity, now renamed asThe Lovers finally released, but she received mixed performance for her performance in that film as well.[96] The film remains Basu's only foreign film to date.
Setbacks, hiatus and occasional work (2014–2020)
In 2014, Basu appeared in two films of diametrically opposite genres – the first wasSajid Khan's comedyHumshakals. 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".[97][98][99]
Basu's second release wasVikram Bhatt's monster horror filmCreature 3D alongside debutantImran Abbas. This film was another critical and commercial failure.[100] Regarding Basu's role,Anupama Chopra ofFilm Companion wrote, "Basu plays Ahana, the owner of a boutique hotel while her admirer is played by the totally forgettable actor (Abbas). The creature had more personality than all of them put together."[101]
Basu at an event in 2017
In 2015, Basu featured inBhushan Patel's romance horror filmAlone oppositeKaran Singh Grover.[102] The film performed moderately well at the box office, and received mixed reviews from critics upon release, with praise for Basu'sdual role.[103]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."[104]
Following her marriage to herAlone co-starKaran Singh Grover in 2016, Basu retired from acting to focus on her personal life. Two years later, she made a cameo appearance as herself in the comedyWelcome to New York (2018).
In 2020, she made a brief return with herOTT debut in theMX Player's crime thriller seriesDangerous, also starring her husband Grover. The web series received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics upon release.[105] A critic fromHindustan Times observed that Basu, as Neha Singh, attempts to "raise the heat" alongside Karan Singh Grover, but her performance is undermined by rushed plot twists and an underwritten character.[106]News18.com gave the series a rating of 1 star, saying that, "A bland and clichéd plot topped with forced sexual tension makesDangerous a rather tedious watch."[107]
Other ventures
Music video appearances
In 1998, Basu appeared in the music video "Tu" forSonu Nigam's album,Kismat that got her noticed by many Bollywood stalwarts and helped her in getting film offers.[108] In 2000, Basu was again seen in Sonu Nigam's albumJaan, in the song "Tera Milna".[19] In 2004, she made a guest appearance inJay Sean's music video "Stolen".[108]
Aside from films, Basu has been an advocate of physical fitness. In 2005, she released her first fitness DVD jointly withJohn Abraham, titledBollywood Bodies.[109]
In 2010 she released her first solo fitness DVD calledLove Yourself: Fit & Fabulous You, which emphasised being strong, healthy, and loving oneself.[110] 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."[111]
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.[112][113]
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.
Basu has been a regular performer at several Hindi film award ceremonies like Filmfare and IIFA.[114] In the summer of 2013, she performed live alongsideAtif Aslam,Shaan andMalaika Arora for the first time in a series of concerts inBirmingham andLondon.[115][116] In July 2020, Basu posted on her Instagram account, expressing how she misses the energy and exuberance of performing in front of a live audience and adding that she "can't wait for it to happen again soon."[114]
Lifestyle brand
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.[117][118]
Basu is considered as one of the most popular actresses of 2000s inHindi cinema and frequently cited in the media as asex symbol.[119] She is also known by a variety of nicknames that play on her given name, including Bonnie, Bips, Bip, B, BB, and Bona.[120]
Filmfare placed her 7th and 9th in their "Top Ten Actresses" list of 2003 and 2004 respectively.[121]Rediff.com placed her 2nd in its "Bollywood's Most Beautiful Actresses" list in 2004.[122] InRediff.com's "Best Bollywood Actresses", Basu was placed 3rd in 2005 and 7th in 2006 and 1th in 2008[123][124]
In 2006, she became the Most Desirable Woman in India.[125][126][127]Eastern Eye named her the "Sexiest Woman in Asia" in 2005 and 2007. In 2009, she topped theMaxim's "Hot 100" list.[128]
On theTimes 50 Most Desirable Women list, she ranked 8th in 2011, 13th in 2012, and 7th in 2013. She appeared inForbes India's 2012Celebrity 100 list, where she placed 25th with an estimated annual income of₹268.5 million (US$3.2 million).[129]
In 2013, she was ranked at 67 as one of the World's Most 99 Desirable Women by AskMen.com.Playboy magazine also ranked her at 7 as one of the top 10 desirable women in the world.[130][131]
Basu metDino Morea on a blind date arranged by their friends in 1996, while Morea was a popular supermodel at that time.[134] They were a celebrated and talked-about pair and featured in multiple films and modeling assignments.[135] The couple ended their relationship in 2002.[136] Years later, Morea admitted that he initiated the end of their relationship during the filming ofRaaz (2002), and noted that it was tough on Basu and she was upset.[137]
Post her break-up with Morea, Basu was reported to be dating herJism co-starJohn Abraham.[138] Both Basu and Abraham maintained a prominent relationship for nine years, from 2003 to their eventual breakup in 2011.[139][138] Basu then briefly dated actorHarman Baweja, but they broke up in 2014.[140][141]
Basu and Grover welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Devi Basu Singh Grover in November 2022.[145] In 2023, Basu revealed that Devi was diagnosed withventricular septal defect (VSD), a condition involving two holes in the heart, just three days after birth.[146] Devi underwent open‑heart surgery when she was three months old, and has been doing well since the successful procedure.[147]