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Hindi cinema in the early part of the century i.e. around the year 2000 was badly stuck in the traditional formats. In that era, any top mainstream actress was expected to be seen on the big screen only as ‘Sati-Savitri’, cultured or innocent and bubbly girlfriend. But Bipasha Basu, who made her explosive debut as a grey-shaded character with ‘Ajnabee’ in 2001 and became an overnight superstar with the horror blockbuster ‘Raaz’ in 2002, flatly refused to accept that stereotype. Just when her career was on the rise, Bipasha got an offer for director Amit Saxena and producers Mahesh Bhatt and Pooja Bhatt’s erotic thriller film ‘Jism’. The script of the film was extremely bold, unabashed and way ahead of its time. When Bipasha decided to sign this film, there was an earthquake in the Bollywood corridors. Recently during an interview, Bipasha Basu recalled the bitter truths of that period and shared how accepting this film became the biggest and riskiest gamble of her entire career.
Bipasha Basu revealed that when she shared her decision of doing the film ‘Jism’ with her close ones, some directors and industry experts, almost everyone advised her to leave it immediately. Bipasha told that people were telling her that she was going to ax her own feet. At that time, the common belief in the industry was that if a lead actress openly displayed her sexuality on screen or played a negative and selfish character, she would forever be branded as a ‘vamp’ or in B-grade films. People were saying that after this role, no big producer would cast her as a lead heroine in family or traditional films and her budding career would be ruined within a few days. But Bipasha Basu trusted her gut feeling. She found a pull in the film’s story, depth of script and complexity of ‘Sonia Khanna’s character’ which she could not turn down as an artiste. Putting aside the conservative fear of society and industry, he accepted this challenge with both hands.
The character of ‘Sonia Khanna’ played by Bipasha Basu in the film ‘Jism’ was not limited to just glamor and body exhibitionism, rather she was the character of a highly ambitious, cunning and psychologically strong woman based on the classic Hollywood ‘Femme Fatale’ tradition. In the film, Sonia Khanna traps an alcoholic and simpleton lawyer Kabir Lal (John Abraham) with her beauty and charm to get her rich husband murdered. The poise, mystery and confidence with which Bipasha portrayed this character stunned both the audience and critics. She was not a helpless heroine on screen or at the mercy of men, but a complex woman who took decisions about her life and her priorities. The songs ‘Jaadu Hai Nasha Hai’ and ‘Chalo Tumko Lekar Chalen’, filmed with the melodious music of M.M. Keeravani and the velvety voice of Shreya Ghoshal, are still counted among the most artistic and dignified depictions of sexuality and beauty in the history of Indian cinema.
The film ‘Jism’ destroyed all the old equations and predictions of the box office as soon as it was released. The film, which trade pundits were calling a ‘career killer’, made huge profits at the ticket window and became one of the biggest sleeper hits of 2003. This film established supermodel John Abraham as a lead actor in Bollywood. Bipasha and John’s on-screen chemistry in the film was so intense, natural and powerful that it set the big screen on fire. The audience flocked to the theaters and the film received immense support from both youth and mature audiences. Bipasha Basu’s performance was highly praised by critics and she was also nominated in the Filmfare Best Villain category that year. This historic success proved that the audience does not just want to see clichéd stories, but if a female artist plays a bold and gray character with complete intensity and authenticity, then she is given the utmost respect.
Today, when we look back after more than two decades, Bipasha Basu’s decision appears to be a historic milestone in terms of women empowerment and diversity of characters in Bollywood. This bold move by Bipasha forever broke the stereotypes that believed that boldness was reserved only for vamps. Following the path opened by him, Priyanka Chopra played the courageous negative character of Sonia Roy in ‘Aitraaz’, Kareena Kapoor worked in ‘Fida’, and Vidya Balan openly presented her sensuality and independent thinking in films like ‘Ishqiya’ and ‘The Dirty Picture’. Bipasha Basu believes that an artist should never be confined to stereotypes or the limitations given by people. Taking risks and choosing unconventional stories is what makes an ordinary actor a memorable and revolutionary artist, and ‘Jism’ will remain the brightest star of his fearless journey.