- Bipasha says she helped popularise muscular physiques among female actors.
- She wants women to focus on health, not just appearance.
- The actor says self-love is more important than beauty standards.
- She rejects pressure to look younger as she ages.
- Bipasha says she is proud of her age and the person she has become.
Bipasha Basu has reflected on the changing perception of women’s bodies in Bollywood, saying she helped make athletic and muscular physiques more accepted among female actors.
Speaking to Elle India, the actor recalled entering Bollywood in the early 2000s, when female stars were often expected to have petite figures, fair complexions and delicate features.
Bipasha stood out with her tall, athletic build and tanned complexion. At the time, she said, women with visible muscle were not widely accepted as leading actresses.
“I don’t think women with more muscle tone were very acceptable as actresses. But I think I started the trend, and I started preaching ‘love yourself’ to everyone because I realised it’s not just about looking good. It’s more intrinsic. You need to be healthy.”
For Bipasha, that shift was never simply about creating a new beauty ideal. She believes the bigger achievement was encouraging women to become more conscious of their health and fitness.
“It’s not just about looking good”
The actor said her fitness journey helped inspire other women to exercise and understand the benefits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
But she also questioned whether today's fitness culture always has the right motivation behind it.
Bipasha's message is that exercise should not become another way of judging women's bodies. Looking good can be part of the journey, but it should not be the entire purpose.
Her comments come amid renewed discussion about body image after an old video of actor Mrunal Thakur resurfaced online. In the clip, Thakur made a comment about Bipasha's muscular physique while discussing the kind of body she preferred in a partner.
“Do you want to marry a girl who is manly with muscles? Go marry Bipasha. Listen, I am far better than Bipasha, ok."
The resurfaced remarks drew criticism, and Thakur later apologised on social media.
Rather than allowing the conversation to remain about an old insult, Bipasha's latest comments put the focus back on something she has championed for years: feeling comfortable and healthy in your own body.
“I’m very proud of my age”
Bipasha also spoke about another pressure faced by women in the public eye: ageing.
The actor said society often treats growing older as something negative. She has chosen not to follow that mindset.
“Ageing is like the biggest sin that you can commit. I believe that I like myself more, the person that I am today, much more than what I used to be in my twenties. What other people are doing, it’s their call. I don’t judge that. But for me, I’m never going to fall into the pressure of wanting to look younger than what I am. I’m very happy with the way I am growing older, and I’m very proud of my age.”
For Bipasha, confidence is no longer about fitting into Bollywood's traditional idea of beauty.
It is about accepting change, staying healthy and understanding that strength can look different at every stage of life.
A screenshot of her storyInstagram/@
