Life Beyond Bollywood

Amrita Mukherjee: Bipasha Basu shot a long schedule for Aadat Diaries in London recently. The film is an action thriller written by Vikram Bhatt and directed by Bhushan Patel and has her real-life husband Karan Singh Grover in the lead. The actress plays a no-nonsense cop in the film. In this interview, Bipasha moves away from her gritty roles and gives us a rare glimpse into the person she is, beyond the silver screen. She talks to about marriage, family ties and the things she Bollywood Insider loves doing.

One thing about you that no one knows…

I cannot sleep alone. When I am travelling for work, in my hotel room, I keep all the lights and the television on and then maybe I can doze off for a few hours.

How do your closest friends describe you?

Uncomplicated, fun-loving and a bit crazy at times; they know I am a simple person and nothing has changed over the years.

The difference between Bipasha at 20 and Bipasha at 40…

The only difference is I used to be very hot-headed when I was younger, but with time, I have calmed down to a great extent At 40, I am married but inside as a person, I cannot differentiate between my 20 year-old self and my current persona. Age is just a number.

When you are not shooting what is a typical day like for you at home?

My day is very regular. I figure out the day’s menu and then hit the gym. If Karan is going for shooting, I arrange his food and then I could be visiting my parents. I could have tea with my sisters in the evening and come back home and curl up on the sofa and watch Netflix or a movie with Karan.

Do the mornings start with  coffee with Karan?

Our mornings don’t start together and neither do we drink tea or coffee. Karan is a very early bird he wakes up at 5.30 am When I wake up at around 8.30- 9 am, his workout routine is done and then we chat a bit and I leave for mine. I only wake up with him when I am doing early training before a shoot.

Are you into cooking?

I like to cook once in a while. I am  good at cooking Thai food. Khou Suey, a Burmese specialty that I   cook, comes out really well. Karan loves the strawberry custard I make.

Any hobby you care about?

I used to think that working out is my hobby since I keep researching on different forms of physical routine like Pilates and yoga. But with time I have realized this is more my passion than my hobby.

How often do you travel on holidays?

When I met Karan I realized I have found my soul mate who loves to travel as much as I do. I can’t say how many times in a year we travel because we just take off. But we have explored a lot of places together. Needless to say, for short  breaks you will always find us in Goa.

Do you keep picking up knick-knacks for your home when travelling?

I love to do up the house. I worked closely with an interior decorator when we moved into this one. I keep picking up things whenever I am travelling and even my crockery and cutlery come from all over the world.

What are the things that you and Karan really like doing together?

Karan and I do everything together. We meet our friends together, watch movies, we like to train together and travel. We love the sun and sand and can sit for hours at a beach pub. And we both love food.

What are the similarities and the differences that you have with Karan?

We are very similar at the core which is why we are such good friends. But in the bigger picture, we are a little bit different. I am the practical one, he is the dreamer. He is very artistic; he can sing, he can paint and I can’t do any of that. But I am the organizer. Though this might sound uninteresting, without organization nothing really works.

How much are you involved in each other’s career decisions?

We are definitely sounding boards for each other about our career choices. The final decision is our own, but we definitely discuss it with each other.

You are very close to your two sisters. From having three beds in one room to now…how has your relationship evolved with them?

Nothing has changed. We are all married now, but we definitely try to squeeze into one bed and do a lot of sleepovers at each other’s place. We are as thick as thieves.

Your younger sister got married recently. Were you involved in organizing the wedding?

My younger sister Vijayeta did not want an elaborate wedding. I was totally involved in getting the décor done, deciding on the clothes and planned everything to the last detail. My sister was really happy and everything went off perfectly, so it was worth the effort.

If you bump into one of your neighbors from Kolkata what would be your reaction like?

If I bump into one of our neighbors from Kolkata, it would be wonderful. Everyone in Kolkata wants to feed you and if he or she invites me over I would jump at the opportunity to eat Bengali food.

Do you still keep in touch with your friends from childhood or hang out with them?

I was born in Delhi, shifted to Kolkata when I was 8 and then shifted out at 15 when I started modeling. My strong friendships happened post 15 and after I moved to Mumbai to work in films. I am in touch with a few friends from Kolkata over messaging.

When it comes to your style, how much is it your own sense and how much of it is your stylist’s input?

The stylist gets me a variety of things according to my liking and I choose from that. I am not dependent on the stylist completely because at the end of the day, the choice is mine. I like to retain my style and they all know that. An outfit should enhance my looks.

Fitness is your forte. Are you trying out any new fitness regimen or diet at the moment?

I believe moderation is the key and I am a big foodie. I don’t believe in fad diets. I have been naughty with food in the last two-three months, but I know with moderation I can work things out. Nowadays, I am doing a lot more Pilates. I want to invest long term in my body and I am thinking about preserving my joints and muscles, something that Pilates will help me to do.

What kind of roles are you looking at right now?

I am looking for interesting and powerful  roles in any medium; it could be on the web  or in films.

Being de-glam on screen is in now. Would you be comfortable playing a village belle?

I am comfortable in my skin, so I am comfortable playing any character – village belle or glam doll.   I am game for any good role.

Your tiff with Kareena on the sets of Ajnabee has been raked up again. What is your take on it?

It’s a joke. We were kids when we were acting in Ajnabee; now we are mature women and we really get along well.

When you are in US….

The city you love to walk around: New York City

The place where you shop: Saks Fifth Avenue

The place you have to have a meal at: A slice of pizza at any street food joint

An unforgettable memory: In 1997 I came third at the Ford Supermodel of the World contest at Miami and I was flown to New York for  signing the contract at Ford Modeling Agency