'Impossible to go for dinners with my male co-stars these days'
It's been a year since Bipasha Basu's last major film Dhoom: 2 released. But she has been in the news quite a bit -- more for her off-screen link-ups than her movies.
From her 'peck' with footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, to her alleged fling with Saif Ali Khan, Bipasha's 'affairs' have been under the magnifying glass. Ask her about Saif and she says, "It is impossible to go for dinners with my male co-stars these days. If I go, the link-ups crop up in the media."But now, we have something else to talk about than her love life. Finally, the actress has a release with Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, and she is naturally excited. Directed by Vivek Agnihotri, the film also stars John Abraham, Arshad Warsi and Boman Irani.
I am scared to go to restaurants with my male colleagues," Bipasha adds. "This way, I will never be able to make friends with the opposite sex!"
So does she deny the kissing episode with Cristiano, which was caught on camera? "When the picture came out in the Sun newspaper, I said, 'My god! I hope it doesn't reach India because there will be controversy for no reason.' "As expected," she continues, "when I returned to India, I saw television channels and could not believe that they blew the issue out of context. They were showing hearts popping out in their graphics and god knows what not! It was very funny," Bipasha continues. She says she is used to such incidents. "Sometimes it's amazing and sometimes it's irritating. But I am used to it. That's why I kept silent when the controversy erupted."I understand that the media is in a business and there is too much pressure on them. I don't blame anybody because today, the world belongs to the media. As far as I am concerned, I will laugh at those images of hearts popping out on TV all my life," Bipasha grins.
Bipasha plays Arshad Warsi's sister in Goal. She is a Pakistani girl, who becomes the physiotherapist of the football team the story revolves around.
"My character's name is Rumana and these Asian boys settled in London take me in their football team because they cannot afford a physiotherapist," Bipasha explains. Goal tells a story of Asians settled in Great Britain and touches on the issue of racism, through football."But there is no heavy duty lecture about racism; it is just a part of the film," Bipasha is quick to add. "John is a football player who wants to be a part of the English Premier League. But it is an all-white team so he does not get a chance. There are funny elements in the film too, as my brother Arshad cannot stand the love between me and John, who is an Indian."
Bipasha seems to prefer brief appearances in movies more than full-length roles lately. When we ask her about this, she replies, "In today's times, the concept of a leading lady doesn't exist. And it does not matter. I did a small role in Apaharan because I wanted to see whether I can do it. I wanted to break away from my stereotype image.
"I am remembered and loved in every multi-star film I have done," she continues. "Those roles are more exciting than heroine-centric roles. "Today, no heroine is competiting for the number one position. That race is gone. I know I am growing in my profession but I don't know where I am heading," she adds. "I am content and comfortable at this moment of my life."
When asked if she thinks she can bring audiences to the theatres, she shrugs. "I don't know. I don't know what people like and don't like. Sometimes, terrible films click and sometimes good films don't work. Now, I know comedy is working, so I am doing it."
She adds quickly, "But that does not mean I will do only comedy. I will do those films that my gut feeling says will work. Even if they don't, I will give my best and then say to myself that at least I tried."Shah Rukh knows what people want from him," she continues. "He oozes intelligence and hats off to him. I, too, would like to give what people want. Unfortunately, I cannot go right all the time because I am not Shah Rukh Khan," she concludes.
Kumkum Bhagya
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