Bipasha Basu, born on January 7, 1979, in New Delhi, India, hails from a Bengali family. Her father, Hirak, is a civil engineer, and her mother, Mamta, is a homemaker.

She has two sisters, Bidisha and Vijayeta. Initially, she aspired to be a doctor and then planned to be a chartered accountant. However, destiny had other plans for her. At the age of 17, she won Ford's Godrej Cinthol Supermodel of the Year contest in 1996. This marked the beginning of her successful career as a model.

After a successful career as a model, Bipasha Basu made her film debut with a supporting role in Abbas–Mustan's thriller Ajnabee (2001), which won her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. She had her first major success with the supernatural thriller Raaz (2002), which earned her a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She then starred opposite John Abraham in the erotic thriller Jism (2003), where she played a seductive wife. Her roles in these films established her as a sex symbol.

Despite facing a series of commercial failures, including the thrillers Aetbaar, Rudraksh, Rakht, and the romance Barsaat, she continued to strive for success.

She later featured in Prakash Jha's crime drama Apaharan (2005) and the ensemble comedy No Entry (2005). The latter emerged as a financial success. In 2006, she had seven film releases. Her role as an executive at a conglomerate in Madhur Bhandarkar's drama Corporate earned her another nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.

In 2013, Basu made her Hollywood debut with the historical romance The Lovers, in which she played a Maratha warrior. In 2015, she played conjoined twins in the horror film Alone. She followed it by featuring as the host of the television horror series Darr Sabko Lagta Hai that year.

Bipasha Basu is a fitness enthusiast and has featured in several fitness videos. She was diagnosed with osteoarthritis at an early adult age, which made her decide to work out. She has released a fitness DVD and is working on another called 'Unleash' and 'Break free'. She resides in the posh locality of the Bandra neighborhood of Mumbai with her husband, Karan Singh Grover, and their daughter, Devi.

Bipasha Basu has been in the limelight for her relationships and marriages. She was in a long-term relationship with actor John Abraham, and their breakup made headlines. Later, she found love again and got married to actor Karan Singh Grover in 2016. Their successful marriage stems from mutual love and respect. Friendship was the foundation of their marriage. Karan proposed to Bipasha on New Year, and it was the start of their happily ever after.

Bipasha Basu is the recipient of numerous accolades, including one Filmfare Award. She has been nominated twice for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress and the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress three times along with one nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role.