Bipasha Basu is an Indian actress who mainly appears in Bollywood films. A former model, she was the winner of the Ford's Godrej Cinthol Supermodel contest in 1996.
Basu was born on January 7 in New Delhi to a Bengali Hindu family. She is the second of three daughters to her parents, the elder being Bidisha, and the younger—Vijayeta. Although she was born in New Delhi, her family later moved to Kolkata..She is often called bips.
In an interview, she has stated that she had initially planned to study medicine, but entered modelling and acting by accident. Basu studied science till the 12th standard at Bhavan's Gangabux Kanoria Vidyamandir and then studied commerce at The Bhawanipur Gujarati Education Society College, an undergraduate college affiliated with the University of Calcutta.
In Kolkata, she did modeling and ramp shows part-time. However, in 1996, she met model Mehr Jessia in Kolkata; the latter suggested that Basu take part in the Godrej Cinthol Supermodel contest. Basu participated, and won the contest.
After winning the Ford Godrej Cinthol contest, Basu also was flown to New York by the Ford Company, where she had a successful modelling career at the age of 17.
Basu made her film debut in Abbas Mustan's Ajnabee, with Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol and Kareena Kapoor. She played a married woman who goes all out to woo her husband’s married friend, and eventually won the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award for her performance.