Bipasha Basu

Bipasha Basu is an Indian former actress and fashion model primarily known for her work in Hindi films, particularly within the horror and thriller genres, as well as for featured item numbers. She achieved prominent standing in Indian cinema during the 2000s and early 2010s, earning a Filmfare Award and multiple nominations over her career.

Born on 7 January 1979 in Delhi to a Bengali family, Basu was raised in Delhi and later Kolkata. Her father worked as a civil engineer and her mother as a homemaker. She attended Apeejay High School in Delhi and Bhavan's Gangabux Kanoria Vidyamandir in Kolkata, where she served as head girl. In 1996, she was spotted at a hotel by model Mehr Jesia Rampal and entered modelling. That year, Basu won the Godrej Cinthol Supermodel Contest, representing India at the Ford Models Supermodel of the World contest in Miami. She continued modelling through her late teens, appearing on magazine covers and in commercials.

Basu made her acting debut in the action thriller Ajnabee (2001), winning the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. She gained widespread recognition with her leading role in the supernatural horror film Raaz (2002), which earned her a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. The following year, she starred in the erotic thriller Jism (2003), receiving a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Villain. She also made her Telugu film debut in Takkari Donga (2002) and appeared in the Tamil film Sachein (2005).

In 2005, Basu starred in the comedy No Entry, the highest-grossing Hindi film of that year, earning a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. The following year, she achieved major commercial and critical success across multiple genres, including the comedy Phir Hera Pheri, the corporate drama Corporate, the crime drama Omkara, and the action thriller Dhoom 2. Corporate earned her a second Filmfare Best Actress nomination, while Dhoom 2 became the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2006 and the highest-grossing film of her career.

Basu continued her success with the thriller Race (2008) and the romantic comedy Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008), which earned her another Filmfare Best Supporting Actress nomination, alongside the comedy All the Best: Fun Begins (2009). In the 2010s, she starred in horror films such as Raaz 3D (2012), Aatma (2013), Creature 3D (2014), and Alone (2015). After a career hiatus, her subsequent appearance was in the thriller series Dangerous (2020).

Beyond film acting, Basu is a fitness enthusiast who has featured in several fitness videos. In 2015, she hosted the horror television series Darr Sabko Lagta Hai. Following relationships with Dino Morea and John Abraham, she married actor Karan Singh Grover in 2016, with whom she has one daughter. Reported to have a net worth of 150 Crore INR (US$16 million), she is recognized as one of the richest female celebrities in India.