Sure she's one of Bollywood's hottest actresses now, but before she was burning up the silver screen, Bipasha Basu was walking the ramp for India's top designers. Bipasha Basu had originally planned to study medicine (can you imagine having a doctor as hot as her?!) and fell into modeling by accident.

While at the University of Calcutta in Kolkata Bipasha Basu only modeled and did ramp shows part time to earn money while in school.  But fate intervened in 1996 when she met well known model Arjun Rampal's wife Mehr Jessia who encouraged her to enter the Godrej Cinthol Supermodel Contest. 

Needless to say Bipasha Basu won and was put on a flight to New York and signed with Ford Models Agency at the tender age of 17!  It's also how she met former boyfriend and fellow model Dino Morea.  Bipasha Basu also appeared in music videos for Sonu Nigam and Jay Sean.

With a successful modeling career under her belt, what's a girl to do?  Get into the world of Bollywood of course!  Bipasha Basu made her big screen debut in Abbas-Mustan's 'Ajanabee' so-staring Akshay Kumar, Bobboy Deol and Kareena Kapoor.  And the rest is history!  Bipasha Basu is now one of the hottest names in Bollywood and has been dating fellow model turned actor, John Abraham!