Name: Bipasha Basu
Profession: Actress, model, fitness enthusiast, television host
Born: January 7, 1979 in New Delhi, India
Nationality: Indian
Known for: Ajnabee, Raaz, Jism, Dhoom 2, No Entry, Race
Biography:
Bipasha Basu was born on January 7, 1979, to a Bengali family in New Delhi. Her father, Hirak, is a civil engineer, and her mother, Mamta, is a homemaker. She has one elder sister, Bidisha, and one younger sister, Vijayeta. According to Basu, her name means “deep, dark, desire” and is also the name of a river.
In Delhi, Basu lived at Pamposh Enclave, Nehru Place, until age eight and studied at Apeejay High School. Her family then moved to Kolkata, where she attended Bhavan’s Gangabux Kanoria Vidyamandir in Bidhannagar. In her school, Basu was appointed as the head girl and was fondly called ‘Lady Goonda’ due to her short and commanding personality.
Fate intervened when Bipasha recoiled and passed out while dissecting a rat, ending her dream of being a medical professional. She was enrolled in the science faculty until the 12th standard, but switched to commerce thereafter.
After acquiring a degree in commerce, she planned to be a chartered accountant, but ended up being the Ford Supermodel of the World when she was just 17 years old.
Bipasha happened to run into a famous model, Mehr Jesia Rampal, in a hotel in 1996. Rampal suggested Basu try her hand at modeling. Later, in 1996, Bipasha competed in the Godrej Cinthol supermodel contest and was crowned the winner. Further, she was shortlisted to represent India at the Ford Models Supermodel of the World contest, organized in Miami.
She made her acting debut with the thriller Ajnabee (2001), which won her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Basu’s first leading role was in the horror film Raaz (2002), for which she earned a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Her career progressed with a leading role in the erotic thriller Jism (2003) and in two consecutive annual top-grossing films, No Entry (2005) and Dhoom 2 (2006).
One of the leading faces in the 2000s and 2010s, she was known for her work in the thriller and horror genres and for several item numbers and was frequently cited in the media as a sex symbol and a scream queen.
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. As of 2024, it ranks as the highest grosser of Basu’s career.
Her notable performances include her dance number “Beedi” in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Omkara (2006), and her roles in Corporate (2006), Race (2008), All the Best (2009), and Raaz 3 (2012). She hosted the horror series Darr Sabko Lagta Hai in 2015. In 2015, Basu featured in Bhushan Patel’s romance horror film Alone opposite her future husband Karan Singh Grover.
In 2020, she made her OTT debut with MX Player’s crime thriller series Dangerous opposite her husband Grover. In addition to acting in films, Basu is a fitness enthusiast who has featured in several fitness videos.
Basu met co-star Karan Singh Grover on the set of Alone in 2014, and they fell in love. The couple were married on 30 April 2016. On 12 November 2022, Grover and Basu’s daughter, Devi Basu Singh Grover, was born. Following a high-profile relationship with actor John Abraham from 2002-2011, Basu married actor Karan Singh Grover in 2016.
Awards and Accolades:
- Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut (2001) for Ajnabee
- Two nominations for Filmfare Award for Best Actress
- Three nominations for Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
- One nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role
Interesting Facts:
- Her name means “deep, dark, desire” and is also the name of a river
- She was considered ‘ugly’ in her younger years due to her dark complexion
- She aspired to become a doctor and regrets not completing her studies to fulfill this dream
- She is referred to as the ‘Bengali Bombshell’ and ‘Fitness Queen’ in Bollywood
- She runs a lifestyle brand in partnership with Malaika Arora and Susanne Khan called The Label Life
Social Media:
- Instagram: @bipashabasu
- Twitter: @bipsluvurself
