New and improved Bipasha

MUMBAI:

In her last film Aakrosh, Bipasha Basu tried to experiment and essayed the role of a small town, grief-stricken wife. But the star is now back to playing a glam-girl in her next film, Dum Maaro Dum, because fans didn’t quite like her as a ‘weak’ woman. “Sometimes it’s very important for an actor to know whether you fit the bill or not. Also, we have very limited kinds of offers in Bollywood, one has to learn to follow instinct,” said the star in an interview with IANS.

The new film directed by Rohan Sippy is set in picturesque Goa. It centres on the drug mafia and also stars none other than super star Abishek Bachchan, Rana Daggubati and Prateik Babbar among others. Reportedly, Basu has no problems working with an ensemble cast.

“I am very glad we are now trying to play parts which are more character-based rather than just heroes and heroines. I am always for multi-starrers because I feel you enjoy watching performances even more when there are more faces to watch,” she said. Even though the film is shot in Goa, the filmmakers are not pointing to the state as a major drug-peddling centre. “It’s a stylish thriller that talks about the drug mafia, the entire drug underbelly that exists.”

“We are not trying to pinpoint and say that it is Goa where all this happens. It’s a fictional story and can be placed anywhere. But it’s just that the feel of Goa goes well with the characters, which is why we chose it,” clarified Bipasha.

In Dum Maaro Dum, Basu is cast as Zoey, a hip, strong-minded young woman, aspiring to be an air-hostess. She says it was a conscious decision to go in for the role. “They (fans) want to see me as a strong character. Zoey’s character has that strength,” added the 32-year-old actor. Speaking of strength what about her new fitness DVD? How is it any different from the first one which was aptly titled BB-Love Yourself? “The first one did fabulously and is still selling like hot cakes. The second one is also going to tap that many people. It’ll be a completely different routine. It’s not going to be like the first one, which was a 60 day routine for weight loss,” said the actor.

Her physique is witness to the fact that Basu feels very strongly about health and fitness. “I’m working on it and it will come out in July. I was supposed to shoot it a couple of months back, but I’ve been very busy. My schedules were really tight; so I pushed it back. I’ll film it as soon as possible,” the star told IANS.

The actor, has been a part of films like Raaz, Jism, Corporate, Omkara, Race, Bachna Ae Haseeno and Lamhaa among others.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2011.