Bipasha Basu was warned that Jism could destroy her career. She took the risk anyway. More than two decades later, she sees the 2003 film as a defining moment that changed how Bollywood viewed women, beauty and bold roles.
Speaking to Elle, Bipasha recalled how people across the industry urged her to reject the film. “They said I would be finished if I did something which had a little bit of erotica,” she said. But she saw Jism differently, as an adult love story made for adults. She wanted to play Sonia and knew she had to take the role.
The decision paid off. Bipasha said the film sparked a wave of new beauty and fashion trends, from tonged hair and heavy kohl to bronze skin and white outfits. She believes it also helped audiences accept bolder portrayals of women.
In an earlier interview with Hindustan Times, Bipasha recalled that even her manager thought she had “gone crazy” for choosing the film. Yet Jism changed perceptions about women playing grey or negative characters.
She called it “pathbreaking” and one of the most important films of her career. Directed by Amit Saxena and written by Mahesh Bhatt, Jism went on to become a commercial success.
