Masaba Gupta has sparked a fresh round of discussion on social media after praising Bipasha Basu’s latest magazine cover, with some users interpreting part of the designer’s message as a possible reference to an old controversy involving Mrunal Thakur.
Bipasha recently shared photographs from her latest magazine cover shoot, receiving an enthusiastic response from fans and several industry personalities.
Among those reacting was fashion designer and actor Masaba Gupta, who shared the cover on her Instagram Stories and celebrated Bipasha’s distinctive presence in the entertainment industry.
Masaba’s choice of words, particularly her comments about body image, individuality and fitness, subsequently led some social-media users to connect the post with comments Mrunal Thakur had made about Bipasha years earlier.
However, Masaba did not explicitly mention Mrunal in the post.
What Did Masaba Gupta Say About Bipasha Basu?
Sharing Bipasha’s magazine cover, Masaba described her as one of the industry’s original stars.
She praised the actor’s individuality and suggested that today’s entertainment and fashion landscape can sometimes feel dominated by similar-looking or highly standardized aesthetics.
Masaba wrote that she was happy to see Bipasha featured on a cover and described her as one of the “OGs.”
She also celebrated Bipasha’s physical fitness and athletic build, making it clear that she appreciated the strength and muscularity associated with the actor’s appearance.
Masaba further said that she admired Bipasha’s physique and wanted to see more of the fitness standard she had established.
The designer also pushed back against the idea that a muscular or athletic body is somehow incompatible with femininity.
Did Masaba’s Post Refer to Mrunal Thakur?
That is where social media speculation began.
Masaba’s comments were shared and discussed online alongside memories of a controversy involving Mrunal Thakur, whose old interview comments about Bipasha resurfaced in 2025.
Some users interpreted Masaba’s praise of Bipasha’s physique and her comments about femininity as a possible indirect response to those earlier remarks.
However, there is an important distinction between what Masaba actually wrote and how social-media users interpreted it.
Masaba did not name Mrunal Thakur in the post. Therefore, describing the message as a confirmed “dig” at Mrunal would go beyond what was explicitly stated.
What Did Mrunal Thakur Say About Bipasha?
The speculation is linked to an old video featuring a much younger Mrunal Thakur that circulated widely online.
In the resurfaced clip, Thakur made comments comparing her appearance with Bipasha’s and referred to marrying a woman with a muscular physique.
The comments attracted criticism after the video resurfaced, with some viewers accusing the actor of body-shaming Bipasha.
The remarks were reportedly made when Thakur was around 19 years old.
Mrunal Thakur Later Apologised
After the old video generated renewed criticism, Mrunal addressed the controversy and apologised for her earlier comments.
She acknowledged that she had said things as a teenager without fully understanding the impact her words could have.
Thakur said she never intended to body-shame anyone and described the remarks as playful banter that had gone too far.
She also said that she had grown with time and learned to appreciate beauty in different forms.
Her apology was viewed by many as an attempt to acknowledge the impact of her younger self’s comments while taking responsibility for the words used in the interview.
Bipasha Basu Responded With a Message About Strong Women
Bipasha also addressed the controversy at the time.
Rather than engaging in a prolonged public dispute, she shared an empowering message emphasizing the importance of women supporting one another.
Her response included the words:
“Strong women lift each other up.”
The statement resonated with fans and shifted the conversation away from criticism of individual appearances toward a broader discussion about body confidence and female solidarity.
Masaba Praises Bipasha’s Athletic Physique
Against that background, Masaba’s latest comments attracted particular attention.
Her praise focused heavily on Bipasha’s athletic appearance, including her muscular build.
She celebrated the fact that Bipasha had maintained a strong physical identity throughout her career and rejected the notion that muscularity should make a woman appear less feminine.
For fans who remembered the earlier Mrunal controversy, the timing and wording were enough to spark speculation.
But there is currently no clear indication from Masaba that her post was deliberately aimed at Thakur.
Bipasha Basu Prepares for Her Return to the Screen
Masaba’s post comes at an interesting point in Bipasha’s career, as the actor is preparing to return to screen work after an extended break.
Bipasha has largely stayed away from acting projects since becoming a mother. She and husband Karan Singh Grover welcomed their daughter, Devi, in 2022.
The actor is now set to return with Hansal Mehta’s crime thriller series Barabanki.
The project is inspired by retired IPS officer Aloke Lal’s book The Barabanki Narcos: Busting India’s Most Notorious Drug Cartel and is based around an operation involving a major opium cartel in Uttar Pradesh.
The series also features Sunny Kaushal and Vishal Jethwa.
Why Bipasha’s Comeback Is Getting Attention
Bipasha has maintained a strong connection with fitness and has frequently been associated with an athletic approach to physical wellbeing.
Her return therefore comes with considerable interest from audiences who remember her earlier work in Hindi cinema.
The latest magazine appearance has further brought her back into the fashion and entertainment conversation, while Masaba’s enthusiastic endorsement has added another layer to the discussion.
The Bigger Story Is About Body Confidence
Whether or not Masaba intended her comments as a reference to Mrunal, the discussion has once again highlighted the changing conversation around women’s bodies in the entertainment industry.
Bipasha’s muscular physique was once discussed in terms of whether it fitted conventional ideas of femininity. Today, fitness, strength and athleticism are increasingly celebrated as part of women’s individual identities.
Masaba’s message clearly supported that perspective.
As for the speculation involving Mrunal Thakur, there is currently no direct confirmation that Masaba’s post was intended as a response to her.
