‘I brought a new woman to Hindi cinema’

web37Her last film was Jodi Breakers earlier this year, but Bipasha Basu agrees that Raaz 3 is her true comeback vehicle. “It’s definitely a new beginning,” she says. In her usual bold manner, Bipasha opens up about her movies, her vulnerable moments, men in her life and the time when she reaches saturation point.
Raaz 3 is your reunion with the Bhatts. Why did it take you nine years to return to the camp?
Vishesh Films sparked off my interest in acting and since then we’ve shared a great bond. Even before Raaz 3, they had offered me a few other films, but I wanted to do something like Raaz (2002) or Jism (2003). When I accepted Jism 10 years ago, the entire fraternity cautioned me against making a mistake. But I brought a new woman into Hindi cinema. Fortunately, the film did well. My role in Raaz 3 too has been extremely taxing. The Bhatts and I were unsure of how I would pull it off. I was scared initially. But, once we started shooting, I got under the skin of my character, Shanaya.
Would you say this role is a catharsis of sorts? Do you think it runs parallel to the lives of real actors?
Absolutely! People think we’re glamorous creatures but our lives are like waves in the ocean. There’s fame, money and power, but we’re emotional too. In Raaz 3, Bipasha Basu’s reality collides with Shanaya’s! I probably wouldn’t go to the extent of doing what Shanaya does. But reaching the top and then dealing with all the lows – professional and personal – has not been easy. Like all actors, even I’m a prisoner of pain. It’s scary.
Recently you said on a social networking site that you’re vulnerable. Please elaborate.
There was a time when I was damaged. I had reached a saturation point. During Raaz 3, there came a point when I couldn’t take it anymore. I smiled through various embarrassing and obnoxious questions but only I knew what I was going through. When you show your wounds to people, they poke deep into them. Eventually, I had a breakdown on the sets.
In the last two years, things have changed for you personally. Are you a better person now?
I’ve come to realize that I made a few mistakes in the past, I ignored myself because at the time my priorities were different. But I owned up to it all. And now, I’m wiser. You can say that I’ve evolved over these last couple of years and I’m happier than I’ve ever been.
After your break-up with John Abraham, there have been reports of you getting close to Shahid Kapoor and Salman Khan. True?
I’m a social person. I have friends and acquaintances whom I meet and have a good time with occasionally. I don’t know why people have to jump to conclusions when they see two people together. Just because I’m single, does not mean that every man I meet is my new boyfriend. Trust me, the day I find my perfect man, I will not hide him from the world. And I won’t even delay walking down the aisle then.

India Post News Service