Omkara's Billo cannot be ignored

Mumbai: From the chic urban queen in Corporate to the wild untamed lioness in Omkara, Bipasha Basu reveals quite a range within a month.

And very soon she will be seen in a new avatar in Yash Raj Films' Dhoom 2.

So it's Bipasha and not Aishwarya who gets into a bikini in Dhoom 2?

"Ha! I'm not going to tell you. I can't reveal anything yet. But yes, my character in Dhoom 2 is definitely nothing like Nishigandha in Corporate or Billo in Omkara," says Bipasha.

"Billo is brief. But I don't think she can be ignored," Bipasha says on her va-va-voom role in Omkara.

But she admits it is Corporate that has brought her immense critical acclaim.

"It's just too much. Till today I get appreciated by strangers. I know when the praise is genuine. Corporate has got me genuine encouragement," Bipasha says.

"At the first screening of Corporate I had my family and friends watching it. When the film got nearly over, I walked out of the theatre because I'm a very shy person. When I came back my friends, family and boyfriend were all clapping," says she.

"I burst into tears. I'm too emotional a person. I was like, 'Oh my God, what are they doing!' From then on the response has just grown. It's not like, 'Bipasha, good job,' Women and men have connected with the role. They pick out sequences and describe it in detail. I've never had this experience," she adds.

She feels after Corporate people have started trusting her as an actress.

"They have realised I'm not just about looking good. That's why I thank Madhur Bhandarkar. I know what I want to and can do."

Bipasha's latest film Omkara takes her away from the corporate kingdom in Mumbai to the heartless crime-infested hinterland in UP.

"Both are realistic films. But I'm not going into art cinema. My aim isn't to turn into only a realistic actress. I'm not scared of stereotypes. Right after these two films I've Dhoom 2, where I'm larger than life."

"I feel I can be versatile and the kind of body language I've been gifted with can be projected into any kind of character from a small-town girl in Omkara to the urban entrepreneur in Corporate," says Bipasha.

She admits looking the part is an essential part of acting.

"If you look the part your job becomes easier. Also, I've started to look after myself. It's nice to know people are interested in what I wear, my hair. Till today I don't have a PR person. Most of the actors have people to take care of their image. I manage on my own. And though I get dragged into being talked about all the wrong things, media has been largely responsible towards me."

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Bipasha is also all praise for her co-star Viveik Oberoi in Omkara.

"Viveik is very interested in what he is doing. He wants to rehearse. He gets into lots of discussions with his director. I'd rather work with an actor who's keen on his work than someone who just does his shots and leaves. I know of so many actors who are just facing the camera for the heck of it. They're more bothered with pack-up than packing in a performance," says she.

"Viveik goes well with the deep-focused attitude I've cultivated towards my work."

However, Bipasha doesn't believe in making her will prevail when the camera is on.

"Though I'm very interested in my work, I don't interfere with the director's decisions. I don't think I've reached that level of evolvement where I can question a director. I'm guided by the director completely. Yes, I make my suggestions. But I clam up if the director disagrees."

She's also all praise for Vishal Bharadwaj.

"He's lovely to work with. I've loved his earlier films. He's so clear in his head and so humble on the sets. He's always smiling. He has a sweet sense of humour. And he's got convictions. Though I hadn't attended his acting workshops Vishal knew I could pull them off. He gave me taped dialogues of how my characters should speak.

"I had Vishal's voice following me everywhere. And this was my first sync sound. My co-stars had done it before. I hadn't. I've to admit I like sync sound more than dubbing. Much as I enjoy dubbing the feeling that you get into your voice on location cannot be replicated in a dubbing studio."

Ironically, Bipasha had her voice dubbed in her earlier release.

"Yeah isn't that something? But my voice is my voice. You can't take it away from my personality."