By Ruchika Kher
Mumbai, March 19 (IANS) Bipasha Basu tried to experiment and essayed the role of a small town, grief-stricken wife in her last film "Aakrosh". But the star is now back to playing a glam girl in her next film "Dum Maaro Dum" because fans didn't quite like her as a "weak" woman.
In "Dum Maaro Dum", Bipasha is cast as Zoey, a hip, strong-minded young woman, aspiring to be an airhostess. She says it was a conscious decision to go in for the role.
"Sometimes it's very important for an actor to know whether you fit the bill or not. Also, we have very limited kind of offers in the Hindi film industry. So you have to try and do things that your gut tells you to do," Bipasha told IANS in an interview.
"I did 'Aakrosh' and I felt that I was very convincing as a small town, weak girl in the film, but the strong fan following who love the work I do are absolutely not ready to see me doing weak roles. They don't mind me playing a small town girl as long as it is a strong woman's character - that's the kind of feedback I got after 'Aakrosh'.
"They (fans) thought that I was great in the film, but want to see me as a strong character. Zoey's character in 'Dum Maaro Dum' has that strength," added the 32-year-old.
Set in Goa, "Dum Maaro Dum" is directed by Rohan Sippy who highlights drug mafias through six characters.
The film also stars Abhishek Bachchan, Rana Daggubati and Prateik Babbar among others and Bipasha says she has no problems working with an ensemble cast.
"I am very glad in Hindi films we are now trying to play parts which are more of characters rather than just heroes and heroines. I am always for multi-starrers because I feel you enjoy watching performances even more when there are more faces to watch," said Bipasha.
Even though the film is shot in Goa, the filmmakers are not pointing to the state as a major drug-peddling centre.
"It's a stylish thriller that talks about the drug mafia, the entire drug underbelly that exists. We are not trying to pinpoint and say that it is Goa where all this happens. It's a fictional story and can be placed anywhere. But it's just that the feel of Goa goes well with the characters and the characterisations of each of us, so that is why we chose this place (Goa)," clarified Bipasha.
The actress, who has been a part of films like "Raaz", "Jism", "Corporate", "Omkara", "Race", "Bachna Ae Haseeno" and "Lamhaa" among others, is all praise for her director with whom she is working for the first time.
"Rohan is very easy to work with. He is a Goan at heart. He roams around in his printed t-shirts and he is very laidback but so clear about his work. He is not like a higher authority on the sets. At times I could even bully him a bit, but he knows how to get what he wants from his actors," she said.