- Reports from the 2000s alleged Kareena Kapoor slapped Bipasha Basu during Ajnabee filming
- Social media was absent then; gossip was reported openly in magazines like Stardust and Filmfare
- The slap rumor stemmed from a dispute over stylist Vikram Phadnis
One of Bollywood's oldest controversies dates back to the 2000s, on which several reports have done the rounds. It concerned Kareena Kapoor Khan allegedly slapping Bipasha Basu, her co-star in Ajnabee. Reports stated that the two actresses did not get along, which led to increasing tensions between them, eventually resulting in an "alleged slap."
In Siddharth Kannan's latest podcast, he raised the question once again in conversation with veteran journalist Aastha Atray (Editor, Sunday Mid-Day).
Siddharth Kannan asked, "Kareena Kapoor allegedly slapped Bipasha Basu and called her kaali billi. Uss time pe, those days... 2000s mein nepo kids ko call out kyun nahi kiya jaata tha? (Kareena Kapoor allegedly slapped Bipasha Basu and called her “black cat.” Back then, in those days… why weren't nepo kids called out in the 2000s?)"
To which Aastha Atray replied, "Instagram nahi tha, social media bhi nahi tha. At that time, gossip was reported more openly. Stardust aur Filmfare the, Shobhaa De likhti thi gossip leke. We read it for that - because it was reported, 'this person did this, that person did that.' Ab woh sab gaya. Aaj kuch anonymous Instagram accounts post karte hain ki 'this one had an affair' or 'that one did. (Instagram wasn't there, social media wasn't there either. At that time, gossip was reported more openly. There was Stardust and Filmfare, and Shobhaa De used to write gossip columns. We read them for that — because it was reported, “this person did this, that person did that.” Now all of that is gone. Today, some anonymous Instagram accounts post things like “this one had an affair” or “that one did.”)
"But Instagram tab tha hi nahi - jo padhte the, woh padhte the. People ordered Filmfare and Stardust for gossip. Aaj tum scrolling karte ho, Hindi mein bhi scrolling hai - aur gossip toh milta hi hai (But Instagram wasn't there back then — whatever people read, they read. People ordered Filmfare and Stardust for gossip. Today you scroll, even in Hindi you scroll — and gossip is always there to be found)," she concluded.
About The 'Alleged Slap' Rumours
As per the buzz, Kareena Kapoor apparently turned violent when Bipasha Basu used the former's stylist, Vikram Phadnis, without her consent. That is what allegedly led to Kareena slapping her.
In an interaction with Filmfare in 2001, Bipasha Basu addressed the claims: "I think this is a case of making a mountain out of a molehill. There were never any problems with me. She had some problems with the designer. I don't know why I was pulled in. It was quite childish."
Interestingly, in a 2002 interview with Filmfare, Kareena Kapoor Khan said: "She just doesn't seem to have any confidence in her own talent. In a four-page interview, she spoke about me for three pages. Why not talk about your work? I think her only claim to fame is that she fought with me during Ajnabee over dress designer Vikram Phadnis. She's given statements that I called her uncharitable names. Now, that's a figment of her imagination."
However, Bipasha Basu and Kareena Kapoor Khan seemed to have sorted out their differences, as in 2008 Kareena personally invited her to Saif Ali Khan's birthday bash - marking the end of a seven-year cold war.
Bipasha Basu debuted in Bollywood with Ajnabee in 2001 alongside Bobby Deol, Akshay Kumar, and Kareena Kapoor Khan.
