She’s cool, much cooler than you may have thought! Her stance is that of a model – taut calves rippling over grey ankle-strapped stilettos. She is thin as a wafer, her abdominal muscles tucked in and yet curvy. And while it almost may be mandatory for journalists and critics to call her ‘sexy’ and ‘hot’, especially after her breathy role in Jism, well, she actually is. Hot, that is. And, yet, Bipasha Basu, who smokes up Bollywood screens in minis, bikinis, halters and shorts, has confronted Size O less naturally than you may think, proving that everyone needs to work on their silhouette. Yes, even Bips, as can be seen in the new fitness DVD she has put out there. Love Yourself – Fit and Fabulous You, encompasses the last six years of reading up on and working with fitness. Her newly-taut body has become a dedication to her passion for health, her new DVD and the fact that she intends to introduce a line of exercise clothing with fitness label, Reebok. Her body, that was once iconically voluptuous, is today diminished to bone and muscle.

Gucci designer, Frida Giannini’s ikkat-inspired Lycra offering fits her like a stocking. She stands patiently at Mehboob Studios where we are shooting, trusting in the ministrations of make-up guru, Mickey Contractor. “She needs hardly any make-up,” he pronounces. “Just the eyes,” which he makes smoky, emphasising their natural almond shape. She is the perfect clotheshorse, a hanger almost, for the season’s collection. Game for anything, she holds poses that require serious sinew. “Your 400th cover, no, Bipasha, should make a statement...!” exclaims ace lensman, Atul Kasbekar. “I agree,” she responds, all stylish seriousness.

I am told she is punctual, she is fun to work with and easy to get along with. And, while she will always be known for that body, there is much more to the actor than endless legs and tight butt. Let’s catch up with Bips....

Her body
Did I already mention that she’s sexy, toned and remark–ably fit?
Looking good “You need to get your focus right. Understand that your body is a gift from God. My health is very important to me – I really strive to keep healthy. Looking good is a bonus.”
Legs “I am gifted with a great body type, thanks to my height and frame. I like my legs best. I have definitely inherited them from my mother who is a great believer in ‘love your self’. The part that I need to work out the most, are my abs.”
Feet Large and no-nonsense, very much like her French-manicured hands!

Her fitness regimen
Her tryst with health started six years ago, after she realised that she was being overwhelmed by a sedentary lifestyle, even while working 18-hour days. Reading up on fitness, she tried everything, even injured herself and finally came up with a routine and diet that worked.
Gym “There are no shortcuts. I love my time in the gym whether it is for two hours or 45 minutes. It is important to remain active…walking, playing a sport, anything. Anyone who lives a disciplined life is less stressed. The benefits of healthy living are so huge that you just get pulled into it.”
Diet “I believe in breakfast like a king, dinner like a pauper. (And chicken and egg rolls from Mumbai’s Linking Road when on cover shoot with Verve.) The idea is to jumpstart your metabolism in the morning.”

Her face
Feline, decidedly so. And her face requires little make-up. Her skin glows with a radiance at the altar of eating right. At this moment, her mane of hair is framing her face so that she looks like a cross between a lion and a fox, and our photographer has captured the perfect close-up – feline, foxy, fabulous.
Inheritance “I have a very beautiful mother and I am no patch on her. She hardly uses make-up but is immensely disciplined about cleansing and moisturising. I hope I will age gracefully, like her.”
Routine “There is nothing better than natural stuff, for the face. Malai, honey, kachcha haldi, multani mitti are great for skin. There are probably hundreds of chemicals in packed beauty products. Instead, use a fruit pack for your face and tea bags on your eyes. I believe in cleansing, sun-block and moisturising. And remember to take your basic vitamins, minerals and calcium as dictated by your age.”

Her vices
So hear this....the young lady claims to have no vices. She has never had a cigarette and alcohol ‘tastes like medicine’. “I have a smoker’s voice though,” she says as if that explains it. She seems to have trumped a Bollywood life for near-normalcy. “When I met John (Abraham, of the hot bod) he used to be a ‘bummer’ smoker. I said I can never be with a smoker. He quit....”
Values “We both come from simple families unconnected with movies and our middle-class values keep us grounded. As individuals, however, John and I are very different. I am more of an open person, he is more guarded. The quality that I admire the most in him is his passion for whatever he is doing and his sense of adventure. I am more practical.”

Her men – and mom
In a long-standing relationship that the tabloids every once in a while applaud or tear and rip apart, Bipasha and John are Bollywood’s golden couple. She loves her man and makes no bones about the fact. “The qualities that you don’t have…the fun is to see them in the other person and admire them…to understand the other person, that is the excitement,” she intones. “If it was perfect, the relationship would become boring and would not last.” But, what about other men, Bips?
John “He is not perfect, but I don’t look at any other men for anything.”
Men “Without men the world would be so bland. I love men but I admire women. I meet only fabulous women all around me.”
Mom “My Mom is like, the plumber, accountant, housekeeper, comedian…. My family has a mad sense of humour that keeps my sisters and me giggling.”

Her choices
In case you haven’t noticed already, Bipasha plays vice president of a company in Corporate, sharp-shooting cop and beach babe in Dhoom 2, girl-next-door turned diva in Bachna Ae Haseeno, a murderess in Race. She’s funny in All The Best, a simple girl in Apaharan and sexy in Jism. She is obviously very daring in her screen choices or very confused....
Roles “I do not focus on any one genre. This business is shortsighted and tends to type actors but I can look like the girl-next-door, diva, village belle. In Lamha, coming up next, I play a Kashmiri girl – I am doing realistic. Also new-age like in Rohan Sippy’s Dum Maro Dum and dark as in Pankh.”
Scripts “I don’t think too much. If I like the story, like my part, then I do it. Earlier, I never asked who the maker and producer is but now I do…you must get the money you deserve.”
Mentor “I started out extremely young. I have had nobody in the business to help me. I never had to even think about pleasing anybody.”
Co-stars “I have many favourites, right from my first co-star, Akshay Kumar who has been a great encouraging force. Ajay Devgan is a fab actor and a great human being. Ranbir (Kapoor) is a sweetheart and today, my friend.”

Her closet
A whirligig of fashion items, her closet is packed with interesting stuff. “I like to dress according to the occasion,” she says, though she tends to spend her day in ‘tracks and ganjis’. Stylists keep her updated on trends and designers (“The clothes come to me and I pick and choose”) and she rarely does her own shopping, except when travelling abroad.
Brands “You will never see me top-to-toe, fully branded. I like to mix street with brands.”
Moods “I have a girlie side and wear a lot of short dresses. When there is glitz and glamour happening, I prefer Dolce & Gabbana; in classic mood, it’s Armani. Among Indian designers, I like Gauri & Nainika....”
Fetishes “I cannot survive without hand accessories. Dresses, shoes and bags are a must, like a toothbrush. But, I have a huge fetish for bangles. I also have some fantastic workout gear; jumpers, ganjis, tights in amazing colours and patterns!”

Her screen style
Bipasha may have discovered that years into her career, her look fits into Bollywood more snugly than ever. Diminished in size and carrying off western ensembles with ease, the model-actor has indeed come into her own.
Her tawny complexion blends perfectly into beach sing-alongs, among other well-bronzed bodies. In a sense, the modern Bollywood idiom is moving closer to who Bipasha actually is.
Filmi fashion “Fashion and Bollywood have come into sync totally. Big designers have been designing for Bollywood celebs on and off the screen. Everyone has become fit and knows what looks good on them. Just the name ‘Bollywood’ is not cool!”
Filmi dancing “I came to terms with it five years ago. Earlier, I used to burst out laughing but today things have changed. They are not dancing in the streets and on mountains but rather in clubs and more believable places. The dance steps too have become international.”

Her sense of adventure
“Leaving home when I was just 16, going to New York by myself, living in an unknown place and starting a life that I knew nothing about,” life itself, she claims, “has been my greatest adventure.” Even as she did the most mundane things – opening her own bank account, handling her own investments, living as a paying guest, (“I didn’t even know what ‘pg’ meant when I first heard it”) and living life alone and on her own terms. “Although I regret that I never went to college, I made my own decisions; Mumbai accepted me and today I am a household name,” she says. “And when I finally bought my own house, I cried for three days.”
Verve comment All we can say is ‘Well done, Bips!’

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