She may have successfully convinced her detractors that models can act, but Bipasha Basu says that even after all these years, there is a handicap she faces in the industry.
Heroine vs hero
“The industry is extremely male dominated and you are always made to feel that you are a heroine and the hero is superior. I used to feel a lot of angst about this earlier. I used to question myself that why is it always about the hero, but I have now come to realise that this is the way the business works. That is a handicap I personally still feel.” Having said that, the actress adds that the role of a heroine has changed a lot from the time she came into the industry.
Inside story
Bipasha feels though the image of an actress has changed a lot as compared to the time she joined the industry, priority is still given to the hero. “When I entered the industry, the heroine was fair, vulnerable and hid behind the hero. I think that has changed now and there are no hang-ups in terms of who can be a heroine. At the same time, I have seen that the audience encourages the concept of a male centric industry, their priority is always the hero,” says the actress.
And what does she have to say about her ouster from Raavana, being engineered by other actors in the film? (rumour mills have been buzzing that Aishwarya and Priyamani were insecure of her presence in the film). “I don’t know if there is any truth in it. I was told that the script is very heavy and adding another character would make it very long. Mani (Ratnam) sir had taken lot of time in writing the character so it’s unfortunate.”
{{/usCountry}}And what does she have to say about her ouster from Raavana, being engineered by other actors in the film? (rumour mills have been buzzing that Aishwarya and Priyamani were insecure of her presence in the film). “I don’t know if there is any truth in it. I was told that the script is very heavy and adding another character would make it very long. Mani (Ratnam) sir had taken lot of time in writing the character so it’s unfortunate.”
{{/usCountry}}Bips got a gift
Quiz her on marriage, and the actress says that it is atleast two years away. “That is the way it has been in my family. No one gets married before 32-33.”
It was also the perfect Diwali for her since she has just finished renovating her house and is all set to move in. “We had a pooja. I made sure I didn’t make any unnecessary purchase while I was doing up my house, that’s why even my blackberry phone was gifted by Ajay Devgan while shooting for All The Best,” she says.