After marking her acting debut with Ajnabee in 2001 and delivering hits like Raaz, Bipasha Basu featured in a bold role as Sonia in Jism (2003). However, the actor was warned against taking the huge career risk of doing an ‘erotic’ thriller. Bipasha, who is soon set to make a comeback six years after embracing motherhood, opened up about how people in the film industry told her that her career would be finished after Jism, opposite John Abraham. The actor also got candid about facing brutal trolling for gaining weight post pregnancy.

During a conversation with Elle India, she recalled choosing Jism, and said, “Everybody in the business told me, ‘Do not do this film.’ They said I would be finished if I did something which had a little bit of erotica. And my take was that I’m an adult. It’s an adult love story. It is made as an adult film. It is not for the kids. I really enjoyed the shades of Sonia in that film, and I just knew that I had to do it.”

Having said that, her character’s look went on to become iconic and started a trend of bronzed skin, kohl-heavy eyes, textured hair, and wearing white at the beach. “Suddenly the waves and the tongs and the big kohl, the bronze skin, the white outfits, the beach, everything started trending in a big way. The look completely changed, and people really started accepting the bold. So I do think there are things that I have done which changed the way a woman looked at that point of time in our business for the better,” she added.

‘Muscular tone women were less acceptable’

Bipasha Basu, who was regarded as a fitness icon during that era, revealed that muscular women were not the preferred image of Hindi-film femininity. “I don’t think women with more muscle tone were very acceptable as actresses. But I think I started the trend, and I started preaching ‘love yourself’ to everyone because I realised it’s not just about looking good. It’s more intrinsic. You need to be healthy,” she reflected.

However, the conversations around women’s bodies are ‘bizarre’ for the actor now. After giving birth to her daughter Devi, with actor Karan Singh Grover, she had to face major trolling for not ‘bouncing back’ immediately. “The conversation around women’s bodies is quite bizarre even now. Magically, when you give birth, you are supposed to get back into the shape of your twenties even when you are in your forties. What’s expected of a 20-year-old is expected of a 40-year-old. And if you’re not bouncing back, they’re going to troll you. They’re going to be massively brutal,” she expressed.

Bipasha further added, “I went through major, major trolling. A few insensitive paps took really bizarre pictures of me. They don’t see how much effort the woman must be putting in, how much they have to do with a baby, with their life, with their lifestyle and also their personal pressures. Nobody really cares. Everybody expects you to bounce back.”

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Meanwhile, Bipasha Basu is currently shooting for her comeback project with Hansal Mehta. She will feature in the crime thriller series Barabanki, also starring Sunny Kaushal and Vishal Jethwa.