After a five-year break, Bipasha Basu has returned to the screen with a thriller, Dangerous, that also marks her digital debut. It's her first outing after marriage to Karan Singh Grover and interestingly it has him as her co-star after their last film, Alone, together. Here, she talks about working with her husband, her penchant for doing supernatural dramas, and how she is spending time in lockdown.
You are returning to screen after five years with Dangerous. Excited or nervous?
I am excited, not nervous. I guess I have done a lot of work, and the kind of appreciation I have received from the audiences and media has been rock solid. I am okay with whatever they think of the project. I have given my best to Dangerous. Also, after a long time I have done something, so I am hoping that the outcome is positive.
Your last few films have been in the supernatural space. What do you like about this genre?
Yes, in the last few years I have been experimenting with the supernatural space. My reason for picking the genre is not because it’s supernatural but because of the human drama in it. Whether it’s Raaz 3, Aatma or Alone, I enjoyed the human conflict, the character and the drama. I am glad people appreciate the work. If I can bring credibility to any kind of filmmaking then why not? I think right from my second film, Raaz, which was a golden jubilee hit — at that point time no one was making supernatural films — we have come a long way in that genre. I like that space as an actor and I feel we should make more interesting stories in that genre.
Have you seen any changes in Karan from Alone to Dangerous?
Karan has been an actor for a long time and a very loved one at that. Right from the first time I met him, his popularity for his TV work was immense. He is spontaneous, very involved in his craft. I feel if you are in touch with all your human emotions perfectly, you can project and portray better on the screen. Nothing has changed between him and me except that we are married, but we don’t bring that (husband and wife) majorly on the set. We go to the set as actors and after pack-up are husband and wife.
What are the advantages of working with your husband?
When your husband is Karan Singh Grover, you have the advantage of having a good looking co-star, who is fun to work with. Also, when you are working with your spouse, you know his real mood, and what he is feeling at every point of time and you are supportive and encouraging to your co-star. Having said that, I am like that to all my co-stars, so there was no exception made for Karan because he is my husband. I just feel the intimate scenes are easier, otherwise they are nerve-wracking.
You and Karan must be getting a lot of offers to work together. There were reports of you doing a TV show together. Would you take up any in the future?
Yes, we get a lot of offers together in terms of endorsements. I would love to endorse everything with him as a couple because we stand for good things in life in terms of the healthy practices we follow. We have made the correct choices for our life and if we are used for endorsing products together it’s good. We have done that in the past and will continue. I don’t know what TV show you are talking about, but yes both of us as individuals are open to any medium for work because we are actors and not picky about the medium.
What prompted you to play Neha in Dangerous?
It’s a whodunit and my role as Neha Singh is that of a Scotland Yard detective. She has a conflict while solving the case of her ex lover. She is very good at her work, but her heart goes a bit in a different direction because of her involvement with Karan’s character. It’s a refreshing thriller, so I took it up.
We have been in a lockdown for almost five months. How have you been spending your time?
Lockdown has been hard for the entire humanity. We have had a lot of sad news all around us. But the best way to deal with it is to retain your own sanity, use this time to learn new things and be a better version of yourself looking after your mind, body and soul. Not just working out, I have started meditation. I look after plants, because the mali doesn’t come any more. I have done research on various types of plants and fertilisation. I do the pruning and cutting. I enjoy it. I have taken charge of the kitchen. I used to not cook earlier, but now I have taken keen interest in cooking healthy dishes. I have become quite a baker and chef. I am also learning new things, trying to do courses on Chakra.
