Bipasha Basu was only three years into her acting career, with successful films like Raaz and Ajnabee, when she decided to take on Mahesh Bhatt's Jism.
The actress revealed that the film's erotic theme and bold title were considered risky at the time, and many believed it could harm her rising career. However, she added that she was drawn to the story and chose to move forward with the project.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Bipasha spoke about breaking away from the image of the conventional Hindi film heroine by signing Jism. "Jism was the time when I was at the peak, and everyone told me, 'You cannot do an adult content film. You are like the typical Hindi heroine who is now established in people's hearts.' And I said, I just like the story so much. I said I'll go ahead and do it. Everybody stopped me from doing it. My manager thought I had gone crazy," she said.
Bipasha added that the film shifted perceptions about the roles women could play in Hindi cinema, especially when it came to grey or negative characters. She also noted its impact on beauty and fashion trends. "But it worked for me and then things changed. Women suddenly were tonging their hair. They wore a bronze look. There was no stereotypical (thinking) that the woman can't play the negative character. It all changed after that. So it's been path-breaking for me. That has been one very important film," she said.
Producer Pooja Bhatt, in an earlier conversation on Tinder Swipe Ride, shared her own experience while shooting Jism. She recalled constantly checking on Bipasha Basu's comfort levels during intimate scenes but admitted that she didn't initially extend the same courtesy to John Abraham, who was making his debut with the film.
"I went to actually explain to them what was required, and I'm telling Bipasha that this is what we have to do, but if you are not comfortable... and John just looked at me and said, 'Excuse me? Does somebody mind asking me whether I am comfortable doing this?' For me, that was like somebody threw a bucket of cold water on me. I said, how presumptuous of us women to think that it's only the woman who is awkward in an intimate situation. The poor guy," she said.
Directed by Amit Saxena and written by Mahesh Bhatt, Jism was a commercial success.
