Bipasha Basu with Bobby Deol in Barsaat

nYou have been quoted as saying that you are into your second innings, going back to your glam avatar?

My career has already seen a lot of highs and lows. In the recent past, I have done a lot of different roles in films like Rakht, Chehraa and Madhoshi where I have proved to myself that I am an actor. Now, I have taken a conscious decision to only do roles that people want to see me doing. People loved me in films like Ajnabee, Raaz and Jism. So I want to get back that glam element, do more of family entertainers and no more niche movies.

nWhy do you think Rakht, Chehraa and Madhoshi failed despite you?

I worked the hardest for those three films and they helped me learn that I could act. Now if someone approaches me for a performance-driven role, I know I can deliver. Why did those films fail? Well, the success rate of movies in our country is one per cent irrespective of who?s in the film. Apart from Yash Raj and Dharma Films, movies hardly do well here.

Marketing has become the most important factor these days. Not every film company has the financial structure to market movies in such a way that all eyes, ears, noses are only fed that film. Chehraa had zero publicity ? even I didn?t know when the film was released. The same with Madhoshi. In Rakht, the intense performances were diluted with songs and dances.

nWhy pick a multi-starrer like No Entry as your comeback vehicle?

The USP of No Entry is all those people. That number of actors was required for the film, which is a very situational comedy. But I think I will be able to stand out in the film because my character is the protagonist. The fun in the movie starts when my character, Bobby, comes into the plot. There?s nothing happening till I land up.

nAnd you then share screen space with Priyanka Chopra in Barsaat?

Barsaat is essentially a romantic film. Now that I have seen the film, I can tell you that the characters of Priyanka and mine are so well balanced. While I have been born and brought up in the West and in a big family, her character is from a small town. What Barsaat shows is that despite the diversity, the power of love is the same ? both of us are fully in love with this one man played by Bobby (Deol). Also, there is a general feeling that a Western girl is negative and vampish but the film tells you that love is the same for everybody, it doesn?t matter what clothes you are wearing.

nWhat else apart from No Entry and Barsaat?

There?s Phir Hera Pheri, the sequel to Hera Pheri, where the chief protagonists, Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal, remain the same. Rimii?s and my characters are introduced in the film. Then there?s John Matthew Mathan?s (Sarfarosh) new film with Amrita Rao and Shahid Kapur ? can?t reveal much about that one. I will start shooting for Dhoom 2 from August (with Hrithik Roshan). And, of course, there?s Prakash Jha?s Apaharan with Ajay Devgan.

nBut you again go de-glam and arty in Apaharan?

The reason I did the film was for Prakash Jha. Not only is his film-making different but he had the guts to cast me in an image opposite to what I have achieved in the industry. I play this role of a small-town medical student who mostly wears a salwar-kurta, sometimes jeans, doesn?t wear make-up, perhaps just kajal if she feels like. Very natural. I believe I have a very Indian and Western face, given the appropriate styling. So Apaharan taps that Indian look in me.

nWhat is the exact status of your Bengali project with Rituparno Ghosh?

I am going to work with him for sure but at this moment I can?t tell you which film and when, since we haven?t discussed dates yet. My dates have all gone a bit haywire with the Raj Kanwar film rescheduled, due to the sudden death of his brother. But I am definitely doing a film with Rituparno. There?s a lot of pressure on me from everywhere to do a Bengali film and when I finally do it, it has to be special.

nYou were deliberating on other Bengali films earlier?

Many fabulous directors from Calcutta have offered me Bengali films but the problem with them is that they completely reject your past work. It?s like, ?Forget what you have done before.? Now, that makes one very sad. I came from nowhere and worked very hard to make a name for myself in the industry. So, I want my respect as an actor. With Rituparno, it?s a mutual appreciation rather than someone doing me a favour by casting me in his project.