Masaba Gupta has praised Bipasha Basu’s distinctive beauty and athletic physique while appearing to take a swipe at an old comment by Mrunal Thakur. The fashion designer’s remarks came after a 2012 video resurfaced in which a teenage Mrunal described Bipasha as “manly with muscles” and claimed she was better than the actor. Mrunal later apologised and said she regretted the choice of words.
Bipasha Basu’s distinctive appearance and athletic physique have received a fresh show of appreciation from Masaba Gupta, who recently praised the actor while sharing a magazine cover featuring her.
Masaba’s comments come amid renewed attention around an old video involving Mrunal Thakur. In the clip, recorded during an interview in 2012, Mrunal made remarks about Bipasha’s muscular appearance and compared herself favourably with the actor.
The video resurfaced online last year and attracted criticism, prompting Mrunal to apologise for what she said as a teenager.
Masaba Gupta Celebrates Bipasha Basu’s “Athletic Build”
Masaba shared a magazine cover featuring Bipasha on her Instagram Stories and described the actor as one of the “OGs” of the industry.
Praising Bipasha’s individuality, Masaba wrote that she was happy to see the actor back on a magazine cover.
“I am very happy to see Bipasha on a cover. You see, she is the last of the OGs. There will not be another Bipasha because everything else is a cookie cutter template today,” Masaba wrote.
She went on to criticise what she sees as an increasingly uniform approach to beauty and fashion.
“Boring. Dull. Doesn’t inspire one bit of confidence,” she added.
Masaba then specifically praised Bipasha’s physique, saying she admired the actor’s athletic appearance and muscular build.
“And bipashabasu I love your athletic build. I love the muscle- and I want more thanks to the standard of fitness you set,” she wrote.
She also addressed the idea that muscularity is somehow incompatible with femininity.
“Too bad if someone doesn’t see it as feminine. This is so great. Welcome back. Breath of fresh air,” Masaba added.
Although Masaba did not explicitly name Mrunal in the post, her comments have been viewed online in the context of the resurfaced remarks about Bipasha’s appearance.
What Did Mrunal Thakur Say About Bipasha Basu?
The controversy began with an interview from 2012, when Mrunal was around 19 years old.
During the conversation, Mrunal made a comparison involving Bipasha and referred to the actor as “manly with muscles” while suggesting that she was better than Bipasha.
The old footage resurfaced on social media last year and quickly attracted criticism. Many viewers objected to the comments and accused Mrunal of body-shaming Bipasha.
The renewed discussion also prompted people to revisit the fact that the remarks were made more than a decade ago, when Mrunal was still a teenager at the beginning of her career.
Mrunal Thakur Apologised for Her Old Comments
Following the backlash, Mrunal addressed the resurfaced video on Instagram Stories and acknowledged that her words had been inappropriate.
She explained that she was 19 when the interview took place and said that she had not fully understood the impact her words could have.
“19-year-old me as a teenager said many silly things. I didn’t always understand the weight of my voice or how much words, even in jest, could hurt,” Mrunal wrote.
She accepted that the comment had caused hurt and apologised.
“My intent was never to body-shame anyone. It was playful banter in an interview that went too far,” she said.
Mrunal also acknowledged that she could have expressed herself differently.
“With time, I’ve grown to appreciate that beauty comes in every form, and that’s something I truly value now,” she added.
Her statement represented a direct response to the criticism, with the actor making it clear that she regretted the language she had used as a teenager.
Masaba’s Comments Bring the Conversation Back to Body Image
Masaba’s latest post has once again brought attention to the way women’s bodies are discussed in the entertainment industry.
Bipasha has long been associated with fitness and has frequently spoken publicly about exercise and maintaining an active lifestyle. Her athletic physique became part of her distinctive public image during her acting career.
Masaba’s message focused on precisely that individuality, celebrating a body type that does not necessarily conform to conventional expectations of femininity.
The designer’s comments also arrive at a time when conversations around body diversity and unrealistic beauty standards remain prominent in fashion and entertainment.
Bipasha Basu Set for Acting Comeback
Meanwhile, Bipasha Basu is preparing to return to acting with Hansal Mehta’s Barabanki.
The project marks an important new chapter for the actor, who has largely stayed away from acting projects in recent years while focusing on her personal life and family.
Her comeback has already generated interest among fans, making Masaba’s celebratory post particularly timely.
For Bipasha, the renewed attention is less about an old controversy and more about recognition of the distinctive screen presence and fitness image she has built throughout her career.
