Bollywood bombshell Bipasha Basu may be playing the deglamourised role of a housewife in her first Bengali movie but the actress says she is happy with the 'sexy' tag as a girl-next-door look never interested her.
"I love being sexy and I would be happy if people call me sexy even when I turn 100. I would love to be called a sexy grandmother. The tag has never bothered me," Bipasha, who has been named one of the sexiest celebrities of Asia, said in an interview.
"If a woman says she does not want to be called attractive then she is foolish. I like being exclusive, the girl-next-door image has never interested me. It is too boring," the actress, who started her Bollywood career with bold characters in Jism and Raaz, says.
She, however, believes 'sexiness' is not only related to having a good body. "Sexiness is not only about having a great body. It is about how you carry yourself, your confidence, your self respect, these help you look attractive. I am sexy with a mind. It is a complete package."
The Bengali beauty is portraying the character of Radhika in Rituparno Ghosh's movie Shob Charitro Kalponik, which deals with love and loss through the story of a woman, who goes on a path of self discovery after the death of her poet-husband.
The film, which released this Friday, sees Bipasha depicting the role of a mature woman in a saree - a character which does not come her way in the industry very often. "Being a Bengali, I always wanted to do a film in my native language. My parents have grown up watching Bengali cinema and it was my father's wish that I do a Bengali film since I came into acting," she says about her first movie in the language.
The film, also starring Bengali superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee, has already garnered critical appreciation and has been screened at the prestigious Durban Film Festival recently.
"It is a very deep and matured role; that is why I was attracted to the character. It is multi-layered. I have never done something like that before. Unfortunately, you don't come across such characters in Hindi cinema because the audience demand is different here," says Bipasha.
The actress, however, is upset that she did not get to dub the movie in her own voice as Ghosh got used another artiste.
A lot has been said about the incident but Bipasha downplays it by saying, "I was not upset with Rituparno but rather with the whole set-up. After shooting for the movie I came back to Bombay to pursue to the dubbing but I got to know from another journalist that the dubbing has already been done. Obviously, it upset me.
"...I have a very distinctive voice and I am sure I would have added nuances to my character but I have seen the film and it does not come in the way of the story. So, it is okay with me," Bipasha says.
She is also playing a very interesting role in Pankh, where she is not a real character but come as the imagination or the alter-ego of the protagonist. The actress has already created a buzz with her glamorous images in the movie, which is said to be an another bold avtaar of Bipasha.
"It is not a typical movie. The protagonist is a young man and I am only in the supporting cast but yes it is a very different character. The film deals with many issues including child abuse and gender confusion. It is a heart-warming story and I am happy to be part of it.
"I am a very impulsive person and as an artist it is great that I get to do my bit in a movie, which raises important social issues," says Bipasha.
Bipasha will also be seen in national-award-winning director Rahul Dholakia's Lamhaa, which is based on Kashmir but the actress says despite having the scenic place at the centre of the love-story the film is not an art movie.
"It is commercial film it can not be branded as an art film. It is the story of Kashmiri people, their problems and their challenges and the role is very dear to me," she says.
Bipasha believes as an actor in Bollywood one has to work within set parameters. "You try to do your best in the set parameters. The limitations are too many because as an actor it is tough to go without the support of audiences," she says.
The actress, who is a fitness freak in real life, is playing the character of a gym-instructor in Ajay Devgan starrer All the Best. "I am a gym-instructor and the wife of Ajay's character in the movie. It is an out-and-out comedy. I laughed my heart out while shooting," she says about the Rohit Shetty-directed movie, which also stars Sanjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan and Mugdha Godse among others.
Bipasha will also be seen in Priyadarshan's yet-to-be- titled movie but she says it is not a comedy but a issue-based story.
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