Something Special about Bipasha Basu

In 2008 when Bipasha Basu starred in YRF’s ‘Bachna Ae Haseno’ about a playboy Ranbir Kapoor who breaks the heart of three beautiful girls, little must Bipasha realise that someday, somebody as close to her would break her heart too and while in the film, hero Ranbir Kapoor realises his mistake and comes apologising to all his girlfriends. Bipasha Basu knows that this will certainly not happen in real life and she does not want it as well.

Last week in the wake of John Abraham getting married I was happy to notice that the media did not invade Bipasha’s privacy except for a brief mention of her holiday with Harman Baweja over the New Year. Most critics I feel have not given Bipasha her due as an actor. There’s something special about Bipasha. Give her any role- ‘Jism’ / ‘Aetbaar’, any banner-Madhur Bhandarkar/ Yash Raj and Bipasha stands apart in the project with her personality and poise. She was seductive in ‘Jism’, courageous in ‘Corporate’, effective in ‘Dhoom 2’ and liveliest in ‘Bachna Ae Haseno’.

A lot of actors were in the running for the role of ‘Dhoom 2’ some the production house rejected on audition and some did not want to be paired opposite Uday Chopra. Bipasha had no issues and liked her double role. When the film was released she felt a bit let down on the editing of her role with Abhishek, which she felt should have been longer than the comedy role with Uday Chopra but that apart, Bipasha had no serious complaints with the producer because what attracted her to the film was her character. “I have always been drawn to challenging roles and this was a part I had not explored so far. A year later I was called to Yash Raj office again and even though I was uncertain of the role I had mentally made up my mind that I was doing the film because I had enjoyed my association with the banner during ‘Dhoom2’ which is full of great memories.”

Bipasha was narrated the idea of ‘Bachna’ and told that she would be paired opposite a new boy Ranbir Kapoor. Bipasha agreed because she liked the story and said it is happening to everybody in the city all the time. I had asked her if she was attracted to any of the other roles and did she have the option to choose? She said she didn’t want to play any other part except her own, not because it was the best or the longest but because it suited her the most.

“The character is quite like me and has the spirit to survive against all odds. I can be angry when I’m hurt but only for a while beyond a point it is best to let bygones be bygones and live life gracefully. Bipasha said it was difficult to be nasty to Ranbir Kapoor in the film who is the nicest boy she has ever met in my career. “He is a star kid but carries no baggage, is supportive of the entire unit. Ranbir is a good actor because he listens intently and is able to translate these expressions on screen.”

Over the years I bumped into her at award shows and film parties and co-incidentally it was always in time of a good performance or a film. She was excited about playing daughter to Amitabh Bachchan in ‘Aetbaar’ and empathised with the role of a concerned father when his daughter is involved with a violent man, she said Bachchan had the ability to make the most difficult scenes the most easy in the manner he performed and it was easy responding to him as a co-actor in the scene. She was excited to work with Madhur Bhandarkar in ‘Corporate’ and talked to friends in the corporate world as research for the character. “‘Corporate’ was my most difficult role and also the most unsung performance, I don’t know why this happened but the critics ignored the film and I did not get a single award. Perhaps the director lost interest too, I don’t know, we never worked again so I will never know what went wrong and why.”

We never discussed John Abraham after the split. I did not want to. I saw them together at the same function once and while Bipasha was completely natural and did what was expected of her on stage, John Abraham when it was time to come on stage and say his lines, appeared clumsy and self conscious. He left the podium without completing his item and those on stage were confused by his behaviour but he preferred to leave the stage and the venue even before the event was over.

On 7 January Bipasha Basu celebrated one more birthday with close friends and family. It has been a while we have seen her on the screen. Her last release with Nawazudin Shaikh was ‘Aatma’ in 2008 but in time to come we will see more of the actor on big screen and I don’t know why but I feel there will be other good news from her as well.