It’s a month of celebrations for Bipasha Basu. The actress celebrated Baisakhi yesterday (her husband, actor Karan Singh Grover is Punjabi) and today she is all set to celebrate Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year). The period also marks a personal milestone — it’s the time when Karan proposed to her for marriage a decade ago. “It’s always a special month for us, as it is also associated with our wedding anniversary (April 30), It’s a joyous time for us as a family,” she tells us.

The Raaz actress goes on to add, “The first thing that comes to my mind is that Karan proposed to me in January 2016, and we decided we would get married later in the year, but a friend told him, ‘You are going to wait that much? She’s a catch, she’s going to run away.’ So, he went to my mother and asked for the first available date. And one could only marry post the Bengali New Year. That’s how we got married in the peak of summer on April 30. Our life stories are quite funny.”

For Bipasha, the Bengali New Year begins and ends at the dining table — everything else is secondary. “I’m a very simple Bengali girl who loves a lot of food and mishti (sweets). I love mishti so much that I gave my daughter the nickname, Mishti. It’s only my mother who calls her that, however, she prefers to be called Devi, she’s quite a goddess in her own way. I’m such a Bengali at heart, I love mishti so much. We, Bengalis, only celebrate with food. That’s our love language.”

She adds, “Poila Boishakh is followed by Baishakhi, so our families always meet and eat together. If you are from a Bengali household, you would know how we love to get together, chat and eat. Everyone talks at the same time, and everyone understands everything (laughs).”

She keeps things simple and doesn’t fuss much about dressing-up too much for such occasions. “I am quite a lazy girl in my real space, but I love to be in comfortable clothes. I think the maximum effort of dressing up is for my work. In my house, my husband loves to dress up, my daughter loves to dress up, but I am the person who doesn’t like to dress up much,” she says.

There’s no ‘New Year, New Me’ mantra for Bipasha. “I’m pretty happy with all the decisions that I make in life. I’m quite a deep thinker and I don’t make rash decisions ever. I’m a Capricorn, I’m a goat — slow and steady, hardworking, and we plan a lot. Everything in my life is organized, so there’s nothing that I can really think of leaving behind now,” she concludes.

More than 20 years after Raaz (2002) reshaped Bollywood’s supernatural thriller genre, Dino Morea says the film’s original story still deserves a good sequel.

“People call it horror, but it was really a supernatural thriller. At its core, it was a love story — beautifully told, but layered with scares and mystery. Even today, I think it’s one of India’s finest supernatural films. Story-wise, music-wise, scene-wise — nothing has quite matched it.”

The actor believes the franchise veered away from what made the first film iconic.

“They should make a part two of that story. The second Raaz was completely different. But if they had continued the original, people would still want to know what happened to Aditya and Sanjana. I actually have a beautiful idea about what happens thereafter. It’s outstanding and can make for a really emotional and thrilling continuation. It even brings in a child into the story. I’ve told the makers I have the idea. They own the rights, so it’s up to them. But I truly believe it can be made beautifully.”

Bipasha Basu, once a fixture on the silver screen, has spent the past few years in the comforting shadows of a more personal spotlight — motherhood. While many actors often stay in the public eye through interviews and podcasts, even without current work, the Raaz actress prefers to keep her voice measured and meaningful.

"I think I should do interviews when I have content to talk about. I'm very clear about that. I don't want to make noise just like that. It's a simple life right now," she tells us.

Bipasha's last full-fledged cinematic outing was in 2015’s Alone, and since then she has kept a deliberate low profile.

Talking about her much-deserving sabbatical, she says, "I have worked from the age of 15, so I needed a break. When I got married, I definitely consciously stepped back. I wanted to enjoy the perks of all that I had worked hard for. Then the three years went by so fast - being in love and settling down, it was great. I don't regret any of it. Then the decision of wanting to become a mother - that was a little difficult on me. I had to take some strong decisions, and it took me some time to do that. I had a baby and now I don't want to miss out on any time with my baby. Itni mehnat se bacha bada kiya hai. It's as simple as that. And I'm grateful that I can do that. I worked so hard that today I can take that decision of stepping back and be with my baby and it's going to be fine."

​Despite the absence from the screen, the passion never dimmed. Ask her if she misses facing the camera, and she doesn’t skip a beat: "I do miss it. I love acting. I used to do it 365 days a year. I've done it for 20 years. So, I do miss it. And it's (return to acting) going to happen soon. I'm not worried about that because now it's looking good for women. There are more opportunities, there are more platforms. There are newer ways the world is looking at women, it's not stereotypical. I have tried to always do something different, right from the time I began, I went against the tide always. And it's always worked for me. So, I do believe that you have to live your life. The work and your life have to kind of be in balance. Mine is not right now. It's my baby, my baby, my baby. But it is going to come. I think it is the right time. I will do it."

​While she's open to diving back into the professional pool, Bipasha is in no rush to sign on the dotted line. She has "no idea" what she is looking for. "I have no idea. I'm all open. I've always been a very open person. So just bring it on. When I'm ready, bring it on. And I will choose and do so. I feel like if I have to commit, then will I have time, otherwise I'm going to keep pushing this. Acting is something that I love, so. And I need my child to see who I am, apart from being a mum. Now she's becoming more intelligent and sharper. She always is curious - 'Why are people taking Mama's pictures at airports?'. She frowns. She doesn't understand it, right now. But I want to make her proud and I want to do some substantial work which will make her proud as she's growing up," she admits.

As for her time at home, Bipasha, who recently walked as a showstopper for Max's vibrant Lilo & Stitch collection, has found joy in the simplest of roles—being her daughter’s full-time fashion guide. Devi, who is three, is a "fashionista"

Bipasha reveals. "My baby is a fashionista. And I am her stylist. She likes to dress up, very unlike me. I don't like to dress up in my normal time. She's taken after the father (actor, Karan Singh Grover). She likes to dress up every day. She likes to go and see herself as soon as she gets ready. There are times when she's telling me, ‘Mama, you didn't put lipstick’, to which I reply, ‘Just keep quiet. I'm going to go out without lipstick. I'm not going to get ready’. That little one is becoming a fashionista because the stylist is excellent. I take all the credit. Everyone asked me, how does she tie her hair so much? She's so small, but she loves it. And she sits very patiently. And five minutes, her hairstyles are done," she concludes.​

The electrifying chemistry between Bipasha Basu and John Abraham in Billo Rani from Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal (2007) still sets hearts racing. But behind the scenes, sparks of a different kind were flying.

Director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri recently spilled the beans, revealing that the song was filmed in the midst of intense personal turmoil — the duo had broken up just days before the shoot. Taking to X, Vivek shared that their on-screen passion was a masterful illusion, crafted despite real-life heartbreak.

Reposting a clip of the song, he wrote, “This song has a history. Producers didn’t want it. Javed Saab was against the hook ‘Billo Rani,’ Pritam wasn’t sure about the qawwali style. John and Bipasha had broken up just days before, so there were a lot of issues.”

However, it was the late choreographer Saroj Khan’s unwavering belief that turned things around. “Only Saroj ji believed in me. She said this will become the biggest hit — and it did. Big salute to Pritam, Javed Saab and Saroj ji,” he added.

The song, from the film, also features Arshad Warsi and Boman Irani. Sung by Anand Raaj Anand and Richa Sharma, Billo Rani became an instant chartbuster. Bipasha and John’s love story, which began on the sets of Jism (2003), spanned nearly a decade. And while their real-life romance may have ended, Billo Rani remains a timeless onscreen memory of their sizzling magic.

Singer Mika Singh has called out actor-couple Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover over his experience of working with them on the OTT series Dangerous (2020), which was co-produced by him.

Speaking on the Kadak podcast, the singer said, “I wanted to cast Karan and a newcomer girl so that the project remains under budget, but Bipasha jumped into it. They didn’t exceed the budget, but the experience was horrible.”

Singh said that the couple created a “lot of drama”: “We took a team of 50 people to London for a month, but it ended up being two months! Karan and Bipasha caused a lot of drama. Since they were a married couple, I had booked a single room for them, but they were like, ‘No way, we want separate rooms.’ Then, they asked to switch to a different hotel, so we did.”

He also claimed that though a kissing scene was a part of their contract, the actors refused to perform it. “They even created issues while dubbing, with excuses like they have a sore throat. I couldn’t understand the drama, especially when they were paid for their work,” he said.

Mum to Devi, who will turn two in November, actor Bipasha Basu says being a mother is the “best job ever” and breastfeeding, “the most amazing feeling”. For World Breastfeeding Week, talking to us about her breastfeeding journey, Basu says, “It builds a beautiful bond between mother and child, since at the time of feeding, you are one unit. My breast milk started immediately, so Devi was given the breast right after she was born, while the operation continued.”

Marvelling at infants’ ability to start suckling right after birth, Basu credits her doula, Sanam, for teaching her the right way to breastfeed, adding that she was very emotional when she couldn’t breastfeed Devi for the first three months due to holes in her daughter’s heart.

“We had to wait till the third month and had her procedure. Post-op, she immediately started taking on to the breast so strongly. It was magical. I had decided to breastfeed her for a year but I continued for 18 months. It was easy to wean her off as she’s a good kid,” says Basu, adding that she went through an emotional roller-coaster while weaning Devi off.

A staunch campaigner for breastfeeding, the actor hopes that the process can be normalized and made a more common part of life for mums.

“It has to happen because when you give birth to a baby, you need to give them nutrition at the right time. And that should not stop your life. Many women have to work, go out and do things and that doesn’t mean your child cannot not be directly breastfed,” says the 45-year-old, adding that while expressing is an alternative, it can be “tedious”.

The actor adds, “The right nutrition is best when you give direct feed. It is the most normal thing in the world to have babies and to feed them. It should not be seen as offensive anywhere. In fact, we need provisions in place for women to make sure there’s enough space in any environment to feed a baby. I have not faced any stigma as I haven’t breastfed in public, but sadly in our country, we are still not that evolved that we would be okay with a woman breastfeeding in open.”

Actor Karan Singh Grover rose to unprecedented fame through his stint on TV. As the actor completes 20 years one cannot help but wonder the love he received. However, with the unconditional love, also came multiple conjectures - right from multiple reports about him being unprofessional, him quitting the show, attitude issues, and more. Karan, however, never paid heed to them.

Karan states, “I wasn’t a professional actor. So, I can't say that, but I'm not the kind of person who would go and justify anything to anybody because I don't need to. I'm not somebody who gets bothered if people think good or bad about me. It's ok. It's their choice. It's their life. It is not even coming into my force field.”

That chain of thought may be one of the reasons why Karan has never spoken about his divorces that happened with Shraddha Nigam in 2009, and Jennifer Winget in 2014. As he sat down for conversation with Bombay Times, for the first time Karan addressed his two separations.

Karan tells us, “There's nothing good about a breakup or a divorce. Yeah, later when people move on, they realize that it happened for the best. That's a good thing. But I never felt the need to speak to anyone about the crap that's happening in my life because I don't expect people to come and talk to me about the crap that's happening in their life. That is not my main motive. I would like to spread some love and joy. Everyone has their own sh*t to deal with and I think everyone deserves that kind of privacy to handle their own sh*t."

Karan is now married to actress Bipasha Basu. He admits she has changed his entire life. "She is the kind of person who is in a constant state of giving. Whoever's in her life stays connected with her. All the heavy, all the negative, the lower vibration stuff just falls. I have another profession (he has also started painting) because of her. She helped me understand and connect with me. The real me. I know myself today because of her. The change that has happened is so drastic. Like from being a nocturnal being to somebody waking up at 5 a.m. and wanting to see every sunrise and every sunset," he signs off.

Karan Singh Grover is a doting dad who cannot wait to get back to his daughter Devi, every time he steps out. And we discovered that he has something in common with Alia Bhatt, too. Like Alia sings for Raha, Karan sings for Devi. Giving us a glimpse into his life as a dad, he admits that he loves to sing his little girl to sleep.

“I sing lullabies for Devi and it’s one duty that I absolutely enjoy, and I think I sing well.” Speaking of parental duties, the hands-on father has no qualms in admitting that matching up to his wife, actress Bipasha Basu’s energy is no mean task.

The Fighter actor, known for his passion for fitness, is in awe of his wife’s discipline. He said, “I have no qualms in admitting that women have always been higher beings. Their dedication and sincerity are inspirational. When Bipasha wakes up in the morning, she is all charged up and raring to go. I wish I could say the same about myself. She ensures she is sharp on time no matter where she goes and is extremely organized. That has rubbed off on me, too and it’s a positive change.”

In an interview, Bipasha had told us where that quality comes from. “My mother taught us to value time. I am always on time, even when others are late. I would want my child to learn that. These are basic things that take you a long way, professionally and personally. My mother is extremely organized, so that also has helped me a lot. It simplifies and lessens the chaos in your life,” she revealed.

In a recent Instagram live session with Neha Dhupia, Bipasha Basu opened up about her daughter Devi, whom she welcomed in November last year, being born with two holes in her heart. The actress broke down as she talked about her li’l girl having to undergo open heart surgery when she was three months old.

“I got to know on the third day of me having a baby that she is born with two holes in her heart. You feel so sad, burdened and conflicted because how can you put such a small child through an open heart surgery,” Bipasha said, adding, “But if you love your child, you must do it however difficult (it can be). It’s for the future of your child.”

Talking about their journey as parents, Bipasha said, “The last three months were fine, but the first five months were very difficult for us. But Devi has been fabulous from day one. She is a fighter.” The actress also shared that Devi is doing well now. She added, “It is the toughest thing to have your little child and have these 10 doctors explain to you what all can happen. Devi had a very successful operation, but those six hours when she was in the OT (operation theatre), my life felt like it had stopped.”

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Actor Bipasha Basu has revealed that her daughter, Devi Basu Singh Grover, was born with ventricular septal defect (VSD) in November last year. During an Instagram live session with actor Neha Dhupia, an emotional Basu revealed how she and her husband, actor Karan Singh Grover, navigated through the difficult times.

“On the third day [after delivery], we found out that Devi was born with two holes in her heart,” said the 44-year-old.

She added, “We didn’t even know what VSD was. It was a crazy period. We wanted to celebrate the birth of our baby, but Karan and I were numb. She had an open-heart surgery when she was three months old and those six hours [when she was in the operation theatre] were the toughest for us, I felt my life would end. But Devi has been fabulous since day one. She is so strong. She gives us a lot of strength.”

In 2019, Neha Dhupia started the social media campaign, Freedom to Feed. With the initiative, the actor wanted to raise awareness about the importance of breastfeeding so that public spaces are made conducive for the act, and break the stigma surrounding it. Dhupia says that in the past four years, it has turned into a strong online community of over 55,000 mothers, parents and experts.

To mark the ongoing Breastfeeding Awareness Week, she will now host live sessions with actor-mothers Bipasha Basu, Dia Mirza, Gauahar Khan and content creator Masoom Minawala. The idea is to shed light on their personal breastfeeding journeys, share insight, and address common misconceptions related to nursing.

For Dhupia, who is mother to Mehr and Guriq, the cause is incredibly close to her heart. “I have personally experienced the challenges and joys of breastfeeding. It’s an empowering journey, but it’s also essential to recognise that every mother’s experience is unique and should be celebrated without judgment or shame. Through my initiative, I aim to shed light on this crucial aspect of motherhood and break the barriers that prevent mothers from openly embracing this natural process,” she says.

This year, the actor will also take the initiative on ground, hosting an in-person conversation with actor Soha Ali Khan and wrestler Geeta Phogat in Mumbai on August 7. “I am determined to educate, dispel the myths, and foster a more supportive and inclusive environment for all mothers,” adds Dhupia.

Dino Morea has been in the industry for over two decades and has seen his share of ups and downs. After a break and some self-introspection, the actor came back in the news with OTT shows like Tandav and The Empire. Dino, who is all pepped now, tells BT, “If I am still being offered work and getting acknowledged for it, I guess it means I have done something right.” Excerpts:

Talking about his Bollywood journey, he says, “At one point, I was doing the same thing repeatedly. There was a time when filmmakers were casting Bipasha (Basu) and me in films, as we were looked upon as a hit jodi. I think we did around five films together. Then both of us consciously decided not to do any more films together because, ultimately, people would get bored. Then I did some ‘guy films’ like Plan and Fight Club – Members Only. My career started with a bang, then it slipped and hit rock bottom. There are times when you are tempted to pick up a small role because the money offered is huge, but you have to stand by your decision. Today, my driving force is nothing but good roles.”

He adds, “Sustaining in this industry is tough. If you are not from the film industry, you often think you are being guided correctly by people who are from here, but later you realize that everyone is only looking out for themselves. The film industry taught me a lot. It opened my eyes in so many ways. When your stocks are low, people will not give you movies and that’s the time you have to work on yourself and hope that something comes your way and grab it before somebody else does.”

At one point, the actor started turning down offers, elaborating on that phase of his life, the Tandav actor says, “I had started doing smaller roles with the hope that one day I will get a bigger role in a big film. Then one day, I decided that I should start declining projects that had nothing for me to offer. I was worried about whether I will get work in films again. Because, as they say, out of sight is out of mind. There are times when you are tempted to pick up a small role because the money offered is huge, but you have to stand by your decision. Today, my driving force is nothing but good roles. Fortunately, the OTT space opened, offers started coming in, and people are appreciating my work. I am all pepped up now. Give me a great role and I will smash it. Today, I am dying to do a really big Hindi theatrical film… something that becomes hugely successful, commercially, like Raaz.”

In recent times, Dino has particularly enjoyed essaying characters with grey shades, like he did in his Telugu debut Agent earlier this year. He shares, “Gone are the days of being heroes or villains, today, it is all about playing characters. Every film is about characters and if you play your character well, then people will love it. It doesn’t matter whether you are playing an antagonist or a protagonist, it is about what you are adding to the story. As a villain, you can bring a certain madness to the screen. The audience loves to see a bad boy on screen.”

Actors Karan Singh Grover and Bipasha Basu welcomed their daughter, Devi Basu Singh Grover, in November last year. On Father’s Day today, Karan, in his first interview since becoming a dad, recalls the first time he saw Devi.

“Before I saw her, I thought I’d burn my eyes out, crying. But when I held Devi for the first time, I felt something change in me. When we were pregnant, I’d speak to Bipasha’s belly every day and say, ‘Hi chota babu, Papa is here’. I said that again when I held Devi and she opened her eyes. I did the first skin-to-skin with her, too.”

Though he’s proud to call himself “a hands-on dad”, Karan goes on to salute the power of a mother: “I don’t think any father can be as hands-on as a mum, because they definitely have more than two hands (laughs). Their potential is unfathomable. But yes, I try to do everything that I am capable of and become a better dad every day by understanding my baby’s needs, likes and dislikes.”

For celeb parents, striking a balance between work and their baby could be arduous. Talking about it, Karan shares, “Being a dad takes a lot of my time and I enjoy that. Sometimes, if I have to take things slow on the work front, I don’t mind that because I don’t want to miss out on any of Devi’s firsts — her first crawl, her first wink, her first splash of water... But, I feel blessed to belong to a profession that allows me to do things at my own pace. I can work one day and take the next day off to be with my baby and Bipasha. A lot of people don’t have that luxury.”

She has my chin and she smiles like me. Also, she and I sleep in the same position. Bipasha calls it the fallen man position (laughs).

We have a playlist called Devi’s bath playlist. We play it when her bath is about to start. We also have music time during the day and I sing to her. She enjoys old songs from The Jungle Book, including The Bare Necessities and I Wan’na Be Like You. I dance for her while mumma applies moisturizer.

Female celebrities in Bollywood are redefining what fitness over 40 can look like. A far cry from the unimaginative weightlifting programmes recommended to women of this age group, their routines are dominated by swift, powerful, and demanding movements, designed to test both their mental and physical limits.

Mahesh Ghanekar, who has been crafting the routines of Bipasha Basu, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Soha Ali Khan, adheres to a simple principle when working with them. “I don’t keep them in the gym for more than 45 minutes. The routines involve executing 16 to 17 repetitions of each exercise. As soon as their heart rate drops to around 135 bpm, we move on to the next one. In any given session, we end up burning about 550 calories,” says Ghanekar, asserting that the crux of his approach lies in enhancing core-strength.

A conventional deadlift or squat is amended to employ the core muscles more than it traditionally would, and power movements are swapped for those that are executed with control. “For instance, while deep-squats are usually executed with a wider stance, I tell my clients to work with a narrow stance, and squat till a range that enables the core muscles to remain engaged throughout the range of motion. Standing barbell squats and dumbbell squats are some iterations to bring about this change.”

As he continues to help Basu shrug off her post-pregnancy weight, Ghanekar acknowledges that the actor benefits from the years of effort that she has put into caring for her health.

“Post her delivery, she had told me that she had gained several inches, and lost strength. Within a few days of our training, she began to see some change. I find her eager to take on challenges now, which is an interesting aspect. Her muscles develop rather quickly, and her energy levels are also improving. Similarly, Kareena, who would usually practice yoga, has also started seeing the benefits of [functional training]. Her strength has improved, and she often tells me how her costume designers need to [redo her attire] as she continues to lose inches.”

The trainer asserts that any high-intensity routine needs to be preceded by a sound knowledge of the appropriate techniques of every exercise. His ability to gauge the flaws in the actors’ forms, and communicate effectively to help them fix it, is what, he says, has enabled him to find success in the field.

“I also try to understand their [emotional] state. If they appear unwilling to execute certain exercises, I find the means to target the muscle groups in different ways. It is important to surprise and shock the muscles to effect change. I find it crucial to ensure that their physique continues to improve month-after-month.”

As assertive as he is about the intensity of their routine, Ghanekar is equally concerned about the periods of recovery.

“A day of rest following two days of training, is essential. And no matter how dedicated they are, they eventually need the break to recover. Often, I’ve sent them home if their energy isn’t up to the mark. I need them to be well rested in order to perform optimally.”

Enthusiasts, he says, will benefit by adopting a routine that is feasible to follow. “I often have discussions with the actors on their eating habits. I don’t encourage them to stick to a diet that’s not easy to follow. The idea is to work with what you do, and make small adjustments on the go. Also, to new mothers, I’d say it’s important to give an hour of your day to your health. Women often focus on the needs of their [family] and forget about themselves. Focus on what you eat and love yourself.”

It has been almost eight years since Bipasha Basu was last seen on the 70-mm screen. The actor, whose last film was Alone (2015), has been on the lookout for interesting work. Last year, in November, actor-husband Karan Singh Grover and Basu announced the birth of their daughter Devi.

While motherhood kept her busy, the actor continued to sift through scripts to pick the right roles. Sources now claim that Basu is in talks with the makers of No Entry for a prominent role in the much-awaited sequel.

A source says, “Things are moving fairly fast. After Tiger 3 wraps, Salman Khan will take a short break and kick off this film. The No Entry sequel has been on the cards for many years. Bipasha Basu was the X-factor last time, and this time too, the makers wouldn’t move the project without her.”

Rumour has it that she will be playing a feisty and glamorous character while balancing comedy and charisma. The film was to be helmed by Anees Bazmee, but we hear the filmmaker will instead be kicking off his project with Shahid Kapoor next.

“There is some time before the No Entry sequel goes on floors, [which will] give everyone enough time to regroup,” shares the source.

Durga Puja, this year, is rather special for actor Bipasha Basu Singh Grover, as she and her husband, actor Karan Singh Grover await the arrival of their little one.

“This year has been blessed by Maa Durga. Our baby is going to arrive soon,” the mum to-be tells us, and goes on to share an incident she holds very close to her heart: “Last year, in November, we had a beautiful darshan of Maa Vaishno Devi, and Karan and I prayed to have a baby. When we got to know of my pregnancy and I went for my first ultrasound, the due date turned out to be the same date on which we were there (in Vaishno Devi)! Maa Durga is a part of our lives.”

Given the stage of pregnancy she is in at present, Bipasha has been told by her doctors not to venture out much. And that means no pandal hopping, either. “I’m pretty close to my due date. Even though I want to go, my size doesn’t permit me. Also, I don’t have clothes. Any time I have to step out, I’ve to think what to wear! But, the main reason (for not stepping out) is the health of the baby. I’d prefer to not to expose myself much to the viruses around, at this point,” she says.

Pujo has always been very special for the 43-year-old. She recalls, “Though I was born in Delhi, we used to travel to Kolkata for this (Pujo). I’ve been a devotee of Maa Durga from a very young age. My mum gave me a Durga locket, and I don’t go anywhere without it. I miss the celebrations in Kolkata. It’s beautiful in Mumbai, too, but I still miss the fervour there.”

Bipasha Basu is Monica Geller of Friends. The mother-to-be has an Excel sheet ready for tasks to do, a practice she has inherited from her mom, and like Chandler Bing, husband Karan Singh Grover’s busy taking notes while sportingly teasing his extremely organised wife. Amid theongoing renovation at their home to suit the needs of their baby, Bipasha spoke to Bombay Times about motherhood, women facing pressures like constant reminders of their biological clock ticking, others’ expectations, judgemental social media and more. Excerpts:

Karan and I were clear from the beginning that we wanted a baby. I don’t have any thoughts on why it is so late or why it took time. For me, this is the right time. I believe this is when we were supposed to have our baby. We believe in manifestation. From the time we have wanted a child, we have hoped for a baby girl. I know a baby is a beautiful gift, and we are supposed to be in acceptance of any gender, and the bigger picture is that, but we call our baby ‘she’. We believe it’s a she, and we have believed that since the time we decided to have a baby.

My daily routine has changed. All pregnancies are different. A lot of pregnant women can do many activities. I have been told not to do much. I don’t have a physically active pregnancy, but I am active mentally. I am always multitasking. Slowing myself down was tough initially because I am an extremely active person. I know the need of the hour and right now, I am doing what’s right for my baby and I have made changes in my lifestyle accordingly. After you deliver the child, there is no need to give up your professional life. I won’t. I did take a long break to have a baby and enjoy my married life. I know that as soon as I have my baby and get the hang of being a new mom, I will get back to work immediately.

Karan and I are soulmates. We are great friends. We have been evolving as people since the time we met. We have been together for almost eight years. This new journey of parenthood is going to help evolve our equation even more. Throughout the pregnancy, Karan has been a hands-on husband. He would not let me do anything because I was extremely sick initially. He has evolved a lot during this phase because he has never seen me this inactive. He had to look into everything — house, work, my condition, doctor, appointments… all of it. That’s the way a relationship should be.

There are zillions of things that I would like to carry forward from my mom. Cleanliness is next to godliness. It cleanses your life also, and she taught us that. A clean way of living makes you value yourself and everything around you. It detoxes your mind. She taught us to value time. I am always on time, even when others are late. I love that about my mother. I would want my child to learn that. These are basic things that take you a long way, professionally and personally. Things like eating home food and learning to cook so that your child eats nutritious food... all these little things are actually building blocks of life. My mother is extremely organised, so that also has helped me a lot. It simplifies andlessens the chaos in your life. She prioritised love and bonding time with family over everything. The core of every relationship should be love and pure love.

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Talking about this new, exciting chapter in his life, Karan says, “Honestly, I’ve been completely consumed by and in awe of this ongoing miracle that is the most precious and, at the same time, the very basic experience of life. We know it as the creation of life. I feel grateful and blessed to be able to witness this amazing journey, which is nothing short of a fairytale, even though an ordeal for my wife. I see her transform from being my girl to a creator of human life, which I feel can only be described as something divine. Soon we will have a little monkey baby of our own, made by us. I feel life is changing, and it is getting better in every possible way. I’m a part of it and a witness to it, for which I’m eternally grateful. I think with all of this to experience, the only thing I’ve not had thoughts about isbeing a father. I guess this is what it is when you get to know you will become a father soon. One day a guy is just a guy, and then on another beautiful, unforgettable day, you’re just so much more. You’re a father… a parent! It is amazing.”

Actor-couple Bipasha Basu Singh Grover and Karan Singh Grover, who announced their pregnancy on Wednesday, say they had been trying for a baby for a long time but put it on hold when the world was hit by the pandemic. Talking exclusively to us about this new chapter, Bipasha reveals that it was, in 2021 when she and Karan again thought about starting a family.

“The plan was definitely to focus on that (having a baby). I did not take up any kind of work at first because I wanted to have a baby, [but] then I started working again. So, it took me a little time. But we completely dropped the idea in 2020 because we didn’t know where the world was going [due to Coronavirus]. So, for one year, we took a break from trying [to conceive]. And in 2021, we decided to try again, and God has been kind. We conceived!”

The 43-year-old doesn’t reveal when the baby is due, but we have got to know that she is in her second trimester and is five months pregnant currently. Recalling the moment she found out she was pregnant, she shares, “It was a very emotional day. I remember Karan and I running to my mother’s house. She was the first person I wanted to tell. Everyone was emotional. It has been my mother’s dream that Karan and I have a baby. I always had faith that it would happen. I am more than grateful for this.”

The couple got married in 2016 and this will be their first child. Bipasha harks back and says that she is aware that she got married a little later than the usual norm, but asserts, “When you find a partner late in life and settle down late, as a person you are extremely mature and responsible, and you know when exactly you will be responsible enough to give birth to another life. It was a proper decision between us. We decided to not have one until we are able enough.”

Bipasha is considered one of the fittest artistes in Hindi films. Ask her how she is feeling about all the changes that happen during pregnancy, and she says, “There have been a lot of changes, and I am absolutely comfortable with everything.”

While there has been buzz that B-Town couple, Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover are expecting their first child, they didn’t address the rumours. Instead, the two decided to surprise everyone by sharing their big news on social media yesterday.

They dropped photos from a pregnancy shoot on social media, and wrote, “A new time, a new phase, a new light adds another unique shade to our prism of life. Making us a little more whole than we used to be. We began this life individually and then we met each other and from then we were two. Too much love for only two, seemed a little unfair for us to see…so soon, we who once were two will now become three. A creation manifested by our love, our baby will join us soon and add to our glee (sic). ”

They sported matching oversized white shirts for the shoot. A number of people from the film industry chimed in to give the couple their good wishes for the new phase in their life. In their note, Bipasha and Karan thanked their well-wishers and said, “Thank you all, for your unconditional love, your prayers and good wishes as they are and will always be a part of us. Thank you for being a part of our lives and manifesting with us another beautiful life, our baby. Durga Durga (sic).”

Bipasha and Karan met on the sets of the film Alone in 2015. They tied the knot in 2016.

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Actor Bipasha Basu Singh Grover and her husband, actor Karan Singh Grover, have finally put speculations to rest. The couple took to their respective social media handles on Tuesday morning to reveal that they are soon going to be parents.

Alongside pictures of Karan, 40, holding Bipasha, 43, while she flaunts her baby bump, they shared a post that read, “A new time, a new phase, a new light adds another unique shade to our prism of life. Making us a little more whole than we used to be. We began this life individually and then we met each other and from then we were two. Too much love for only two, seemed a little unfair for us to see…so soon, we who once were two will now become three. A creation manifested by our love, our baby will join us soon and add to our glee. Thank you all, for your unconditional love, your prayers and good wishes as they are and will always be a part of us. Thank you for being a part of our lives and manifesting with us another beautiful life, our baby. Durga Durga (sic).”

The duo got married in 2016 after dating for a year and rumours about them expecting their first child have done the rounds many times ever since.

Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha has a knack for challenging the norms with his movies — be it Article 15 (2019) or Thappad (2020). This time around, with Middle-Class Love, he is throwing his weight behind rank newcomers Prit Kamani, Eisha Singh and Kavya Thapar. Sinha, who is backing the Ratnaa Sinha-directed offering, begins, “This film demanded newcomers. How else do you make a campus film?”

It’s refreshing to see new names in the billing at a time when it’s common for star kids to bag big-ticket projects. Nepotism in Bollywood has been called out time and again, but there is little on-ground change. “I am not saying that it’s not an important discussion to have, but it mostly gets into mudslinging. There are children who were born in Bandra and Juhu, they played in the backyards of movie stars and filmmakers. It’s only natural that they would get their blessings. [But] repeatedly pushing people with limited talent is unfair. When [it comes down to choosing between] a child from the industry or not, that becomes unfair. I am an outsider, and it’s my responsibility to make sure that whenever I get an opportunity to work with newcomers, I [rope in] people from outside of the industry. I worked with newcomers in Tum Bin [2001], and with Bipasha [Basu] and John [Abraham] in music videos. They became popular, not because of me, but because of who they were. For Middle-Class Love, Ratnaa found these kids who did commercials, television and music videos until they landed a lead part.”

Casting star kids has certain advantages — they grab more eyeballs, thus becoming a more lucrative proposition. However, the filmmaker says everybody, from the media to the audience, has to do their bit to make it a level-playing field for newcomers. “It is more lucrative to [rope in] this one’s son and that one’s daughter from the announcement perspective. But it’s important to choose outsiders. I also blame it on the press. They don’t write as much about the other newcomers. [The press will] blame the readers who don’t read articles about them. It’s a cycle. Ratnaa has made a great film. Now, it’s up to the media and audience to bless the kids because they need those extra blessings.”

From left: Kavya Thapar, Prit Kamani and Eisha Singh