THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: She commands attention whether she is onscreen or off it. From multi-starrers like ‘Dhoom 2’ and ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’ to projects where she has played the lead (think ‘Raaz’ and ‘Corporate’), the Bengali actor comes across as someone who knows her mind. A decade from the racy ‘Jism’, several relationships and a fitness video later, the 32-year-old has emerged confident and fitter.
This time she is back to doing what she does best - as the glamorous and tough woman in Abbas-Mustan’s ‘Players’, also starring Sonam Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, Bobby Deol and Neil Nitin Mukesh. More from the actress on her inhibitions and gym obsession.
Fitness on the mind
You can be in any shape to sport a bikini onscreen. I don’t think you have to look perfect, but good enough to expose yourself to that extent. I worked on my body for six weeks. I had to get rid of sweets, which I love the most. My new fitness DVD will release in April next year. It will be about getting in good shape to sport a bikini. Whenever I’m free on the sets, I work out. My co-stars make fun of me saying, ‘Bipasha was in Germany and she went to gym. She was in Mumbai, and she went to gym.’ You will never find me without my fitness gear, all from Reebok.
The buzz about the bikini
I had rejected a bikini scene in ‘Dum Maro Dum’ because I thought my character wasn’t gelling with the scene. It wasn’t needed. I remember persuading Rohan Sippy (director) to cancel the scene. He was kind enough to listen to me. ‘Players’, for that matter, is a slick action film. Abbas-Mustan always make visually stylish films. I knew this scene was going to be shot well and convincingly. I play the role of a fierce and brave girl, Riya, in the movie. She is as good as all the guys - skilled and witty. As an artiste, I feel good to play interesting characters like this. I’m glad that they approached me for the role.
Too close for comfort
Lovemaking scenes are uncomfortable to play. I still have my inhibitions to kiss co-stars onscreen. I find it way too intimidating. The technical skills of shooting such scenes are still limited in our industry. People say they get intimidated by my looks. They get carried away by the glamour, but personally, I’m a simple person. I laugh a lot and have fun most of the time.
Learning to unwind
I haven’t read a book in eight years now. I’m looking forward to reading ‘2 States: The Story of My Marriage’ by Chetan Bhagat. I met him recently. He is an interesting man.