Bipasha Basu

Bipasha Basu is the face of Indian cinema's most thrilling eras, a true icon who left an indelible mark on the Bollywood scene. Born on January 7, 1979, in Delhi, this Bengali beauty made her mark on the fashion world and then conquered the big screen with her captivating on-screen presence. A former model turned actress, Basu's career has been a masterclass in evolution, her versatility as an artist reflected in her extraordinary range of roles in films like Ajnabee, Raaz, Jism, No Entry, and Dhoom 2, among many others. With a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut and numerous nominations to her name, Basu's impact on Indian cinema is undeniable. But beyond her filmography, Basu is also a devoted fitness enthusiast, having featured in several fitness videos, and a devoted mother, married to Karan Singh Grover with whom she shares a beautiful daughter. Sizzling on the silver screen since 2001, Bipasha Basu has been a force to be reckoned with in Bollywood. Her breakout role in Abbas-Mustan's action thriller Ajnabee opposite Akshay Kumar marked the beginning of an illustrious career. Basu's performance earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut, setting the stage for her future successes. The following year, she stole the show in Vikram Bhatt's supernatural horror thriller Raaz, cementing her status as a leading lady in the Hindi film industry. The film's massive commercial success, ranking as the third highest-grossing Hindi film of the year, solidified Basu's position as a bankable star. With a string of films including Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai, Chor Machaaye Shor, and Takkari Donga, Basu's versatility and range became evident. Her bold performances in films like Jism, where she played a seductive femme fatale opposite John Abraham, and Madhoshi, where she portrayed a mentally unstable woman, showcased her ability to take on complex characters. Despite facing some setbacks, including the commercial failures of Zameen and Gunaah, Basu continued to push her boundaries, experimenting with different genres and roles. Her collaborations with Vikram Bhatt, including Raaz and Aetbaar, demonstrated her willingness to take on challenging projects. With her critically acclaimed performances in films like Rakht and Apaharan, Basu proved herself to be a talented and dedicated actress. Her refusal to act in art films due to salary problems, however, marked a turning point in her career. Nevertheless, her subsequent successes in films like No Entry and Barsaat, as well as her Tamil romantic comedy Sachein, showcased her enduring appeal and talent. Bipasha Basu exploded into the Bollywood scene in 2006, unleashing a year of cinematic chaos that would leave fans breathless. The actress stunned in no less than four major releases, including the laugh-out-loud comedy Phir Hera Pheri, the corporate thriller Corporate, the crime drama Omkara, and the high-octane action thriller Dhoom 2. In Phir Hera Pheri, she sizzled alongside Akshay Kumar as a cunning con artist who pulls off a jaw-dropping ₹10 million heist. Though the film received mixed reviews, it still managed to rake in the moolah, becoming the eighth highest-grossing Hindi film of the year. Her performance in Madhur Bhandarkar's Corporate earned her critical acclaim, including a second Filmfare nomination for Best Actress, and she even shed her glamorous image to portray a ruthless businesswoman with no qualms about using her sex appeal to get ahead. In Vishal Bhardwaj's Omkara, she brought Othello to the Indian screen as Billo Chamanbahar, a sultry siren who stole hearts with her sultry dance number "Beedi." Meanwhile, in Dhoom 2, she played a dual role as a cop and a stunning NRI, making headlines for her daring bikini scene. Her physique was so impressive that she reportedly stuck to a strict diet of oranges for three days to get in shape. The film was a blockbuster hit, raking in a whopping ₹1,513.89 million worldwide and cementing Basu's status as a Bollywood superstar. With her star on the rise, she went on to team up with John Abraham in Vivek Agnihotri's Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, a sports drama that failed to deliver at the box office. However, her performance in Abbas-Mustan's crime thriller Race, where she played a complex woman torn between two brothers, earned her widespread acclaim and solidified her status as one of Bollywood's leading ladies. Bipasha Basu roared back onto the screen in 2010 with Sudipto Chattopadhyaya’s psychological drama Pankh, embodying an ethereal figment of the hero’s mind. She then plunged into the volatile world of Kashmir in Rahul Dholakia’s Lamhaa, sharing the frame with Sanjay Dutt, Anupam Kher and Kunal Kapoor; despite on‑set threats that forced her to flee Anantnag and a near‑replacement by Vidya Balan, Basu returned under tight security and earned critical acclaim for a harrowing performance that left audiences breathless. Later that year she appeared in Priyadarshan’s Aakrosh as the tormented wife of a ruthless cop, a role that drew mixed reactions. 2011 saw her sparkle as Zoey, the vivacious, Goa‑loving heroine of Dum Maaro Dum alongside Abhishek Bachchan and Rana Daggubati, a film that steadied her box‑office fortunes. She also completed her first English venture, Roland Joffé’s time‑travel romance Singularity, playing a fierce Maratha warrior, though the project stalled for two years. In 2 012 Basu teamed with Abbas‑Mustan for the high‑profile remake Players, which flopped spectacularly, but she rebounded spectacularly with Vikram Bhatt’s horror blockbuster Raaz 3: The Third Dimension, co‑starring Emraan Hashmi and Esha Gupta; the film smashed records, grossing ₹1.01 billion and cementing her as the genre’s queen, with critics hailing her “full‑bodied, gutsy” performance. 2013 brought a flashback cameo in Race 2 and a chilling turn opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the horror Aatma, earning mixed reviews but noting her “better” and “decent” acting. Finally, Singularity—renamed The Lovers—hit theaters, marking her sole foreign release, though it garnered a lukewarm response. Basu's career experienced a slowdown in the mid-2010s, marked by a string of commercially and critically panned films. Her 2014 romp in Sajid Khan's comedy Humshakals was a catastrophic failure, earning her a spot on the list of worst Bollywood films ever made. Basu was reportedly "extremely disturbed" by the experience, stating it was the worst of her career. Her next release, Creature 3D, a monster horror film, fared no better. Basu's dual role as boutique hotel owner Ahana was met with indifference, overshadowed by the creature's on-screen presence. In 2015, she found moderate success with Bhushan Patel's Alone, a romance horror film opposite Karan Singh Grover. The film received mixed reviews, with Basu praised for her dual performance. On the small screen, Basu made her television debut hosting the anthology horror series Darr Sabko Lagta Hai. After marrying Grover in 2016, she stepped back from acting to focus on her personal life. Two years later, she made a cameo in the comedy Welcome to New York, followed by a brief return to acting in 2020 as part of the MX Player series Dangerous, co-starring with her husband. The show received lukewarm reviews, with critics flagging an underwritten character and rushed plot twists. Bipasha Basu is Bollywood's biggest bombshell of the 2000s, a sex symbol who's been named one of the most desirable women in the world. Dubbed the "B" by fans, she's been breaking hearts with her stunning looks and captivating performances on screen. Filmfare crowned her the 7th and 9th best actress of 2003 and 2004 respectively, while Rediff.com declared her the 2nd most beautiful actress in 2004. She topped Maxim's Hot 100 list in 2009 and Eastern Eye's Sexiest Woman in Asia in 2005 and 2007. A fashion icon, Basu has been featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list and ranked 25th with an estimated annual income of ₹268.5 million in 2012. She's also a world-renowned supermodel, gracing the Global Top 1500 of the World Fashion Model Directory and ranking 7th on Playboy's list of the top 10 most desirable women in the world. As a sought-after celebrity endorser, she's worked with top brands like Dabur, Pantene, and Emami. Bipasha Basu is a Bollywood bombshell who's been electrifying screens for over two decades with her sizzling on-screen presence and versatility. With an impressive filmography of over 50 movies, Basu has solidified her status as one of India's most iconic actresses. Her journey began as a model, but she soon transitioned to the big screen with a supporting role in Abbas-Mustan's thriller Ajnabee (2001), earning her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Basu's breakthrough came with the supernatural thriller Raaz (2002), which cemented her status as a leading lady and earned her a Filmfare Award nomination for Best Actress. She continued to make waves with her seductive turns in films like Jism and her subsequent roles in thrillers like Aetbaar, Rudraksh, and Rakht, which established her as a sex symbol. Basu's career had its ups and downs, but she bounced back with a string of hits, including Prakash Jha's crime drama Apaharan and the ensemble comedy No Entry, which grossed over ₹ 750 million at the box office. Her performance in the latter earned her a nomination for the Best Supporting Actress at the 51st Filmfare Awards. With seven film releases in 2006 alone, Basu showcased her range in Madhur Bhandarkar's Corporate and Vishal Bhardwaj's Omkara, an adaptation of Othello. Her dual roles in Sanjay Gadhvi's Dhoom 2 made her a household name, and she went on to collaborate with Abbas-Mustan again for the hit film Race. Basu's critically acclaimed performance in Rituparno Ghosh's Shob Charitro Kalponik and her role in Raaz 3D solidified her position in the industry. She made her Hollywood debut with The Lovers in 2013 and continued to push boundaries with her roles in films like Humshakals and Alone, where she played conjoined twins. Basu has also ventured into television, hosting the horror series Darr Sabko Lagta Hai in 2015.