Bipasha Basu has been out of action for quite some time. Last seen in Rakht, the girl with the sultry jism is all set to try her hands at comedy, in the Firoz Nadiadwala-produced Phir Hera Pheri, a sequel to the highly-applauded Hera Pheri. Bipasha admits that she is having a tough time acting alongside Paresh Rawal, Suniel Shetty and Akshay Kumar.

Q: How would the hot Bipasha Basu attempt comedy in Phir Hera Pheri?

Can?t hot actresses make people laugh? It is just a wrong notion that actresses, in specific, can?t succeed in pulling off comedy. Yet I would also admit at the same time that it takes maximum effort out of you to make people laugh. Comedy is the toughest human emotion to portray. You can make people cry easily, but it is always difficult to bring out a smile on a person?s face. As an actress, however, I don?t want to limit myself in doing one type of role. When I did Jism, I knew it would turn out to be a cult role, which would lead to ?me-toos?. Many actresses tried to do the dare-bare kind of roles, but fell flat. Hence, if you look at it that way, I have also been a trendsetter. And I am not bragging about it.

Q: You have been often credited for redefining the image of a Hindi film heroine. Do you enjoy your sex symbol image?

Of course, I do. I am certainly not apologetic about my sexy image just because a new set of girls is more upfront about their body. But if you mean nudity by saying sexy, then sorry, I am not comfortable with it. I have never been. I can?t do anything vulgar. If I do, I wouldn?t be able to look myself in the eye and sleep properly. I think it?s my personality that makes me appear bold. Other than that, I am a simple woman, with even simpler tastes.

Q: Coming back to Phir Hera Pheri, how would you stand out amid the likes of Paresh Rawal, Suniel Shetty and Akshay Kumar?

Yes, matching them is difficult. I got so much to learn from them. We have hardly shot for a few days, yet it seems like we have been shooting for aeons. As for the film, it is a pure masti-mazaak story. It will surely make you fall off the chair. The best part is that my character is extremely significant to the track.

Q: Lately, many actresses have gone in for revamping their looks. You have also recently opted for colouring your hair. Is there some kind of a competition going on?

It is not like that. It is funny that whatever celebrities do, it gets highlighted. My new hair colour is the talk of the town, but seriously, the idea behind it was to just experiment. It doesn?t mean that it is a step towards the more glamorous way. It cannot be, because I am already glamorous. Am I not? (laughs).

Q: Why did you drop out of Buddhadeb Dasgupta?s film when most actresses would have given their right arm for it?

Money was the issue. I want to strike a balance between commercial and art-house cinema. But at the end of the day, I also need to run my house. I would have loved to work with Mr Dasgupta, though.